More than 200 pupils have been suspended in just three weeks at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy in Whiston, Merseyside, after the school introduced tough new disciplinary rules. The academy says the crackdown is intended to 'raise the bar' for standards, but some parents have described the measures as 'extreme' and claim children are now afraid to attend school.
The new policy, developed with the Education Exchange, led to 99 suspensions in the first week, followed by 67 and then 36 in subsequent weeks. Many suspensions involved sending pupils home for the day after repeated failure to follow staff requests. The school views the rising numbers as evidence that students are adapting to higher expectations.
One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, criticised the approach, saying punishments were given for minor issues and that the school was not addressing root causes of behaviour. He argued that suspension should be a last resort and that the current policy was causing unnecessary disruption to learning. He also claimed that many children had become anxious about going to school and that communication with parents was poor.
The school has faced controversy before: last year, headteacher Lee Peachey and deputy head Anna Kenny disappeared from their roles without explanation, though they remain listed on the school website. Acting head Clare McKenna has since taken over. The school had recently improved from an Ofsted 'inadequate' rating to 'requires improvement', and the new behaviour policy is seen as an attempt to push for a higher grade.
Opinion among parents is divided. While some criticise the strictness, others support the clampdown, with one parent saying 'it's about time the schools clamped down; some kids run riot.' The school has not commented further on the policy.
