A school in Whiston, Merseyside, that suspended more than 200 pupils in just three weeks following a new approach to combat poor behaviour has been applauded by local residents
A school has been praised after teachers suspended more than 200 students inside three weeks of the new term in an attempt to combat bad behaviour.
St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy in Whiston, Merseyside, took the drastic action after out-of-control children ignored new warnings. They handed out the suspensions in order to “raise the bar” of what was expected from its pupils – and the move has been applauded.
Bosses said they had decided if the school was to move beyond its current Ofsted rating of “requires improvement”, then major changes were needed to address behaviour issues A range of new disciplinary measures were put in place, giving teachers the power to send children home if they repeatedly refused to follow reasonable demands from staff.
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The LiverpoolEcho report that total of 99 suspensions handed out in the first week of the new approach coming in. Week two saw 67 suspensions and week three saw 36. Decision makers pointed to this downward trajectory as a sign that students were starting to understand what is now expected of them.
And now it appears Ofsted has backed the approach, following a monitoring visit to the school in July. In a letter to the school, the watchdog said its “leaders have made progress to improve the school”, while acknowledging that “some aspects need further improvement”.
On the subject of behaviour and discipline, Ofsted said new policies had been brought in to “address the poor behaviour of a minority of pupils”. It added: “Initially, this led to a spike in the number of suspensions. Even so, the total number of suspensions this academic year, for all groups of pupils, has decreased.
“While this policy is not fully embedded, some improvement in pupils’ behaviour is evident. There is a calmness that pervades the school. Pupils are aware of the school’s high expectations of their behaviour. Fewer pupils contravene the school’s rules. There is less disruption to learning in lessons. Typically, pupils learn undisturbed. They are beginning to appreciate that the school has their best interests at heart.”
The tough stance on behaviour has sparked strong reactions from the public, with many praising the school for taking a stand. Responding a facebook post announcing the news, one local said: “It’s positive that behaviour is improving, though I hope they keep supporting the pupils who struggle so no one gets left behind.”
Another wrote: “About time. Kids don’t have respect these days, and if they don’t listen to parents or teachers where are they going in their careers? Well done and about time again. All schools around certain areas need [to do] this also to get the kids back in check.”
A third person said: “Schools and teachers in general have an unenviable job in shaping future generations to reach their potential academically and become respectful and considerate of others. Nationally lots of teachers get abuse from parents so what hope is there for them kids.”