Pupils caught in crackdown
Wednesday 16th December 2009, 12:00PM GMT.
More than 30 students have been excluded from a Shropshire school for smoking, verbally abusing teachers and disrupting classes in the wake of a government inspection which branded it “inadequate”.
A major crackdown was launched after Ofsted inspectors served Sutherland Business and Enterprise College in Telford with a “notice to improve” and criticised the level of teaching and behaviour of pupils following October’s visit.
Headteacher Steve Wall responded as soon as the inspectors left by clamping down on unruly students – and sent 33 home the week after the inspection.
It is thought half of the exclusions came after pupils were caught openly smoking in the school playground, while others were punished for verbally abusing teachers and persistent disruptive behaviour.
Teachers at the school in Gibbons Road, Trench, have also been ordered to stay behind after classes once a week to receive extra tuition to improve their skills and lessons for pupils.
Speaking today, Mr Wall said: “We stepped up playground patrols after the recent Ofsted inspection identified smoking on site as a problem.
“Obviously if you increase your patrols, you catch more people and this increased vigilance led to more pupils being caught.
“As a result, the week following the Ofsted report led to the school imposing 33 one and two-day exclusions. Reasons for the exclusions other than smoking included verbal abuse and persistent disruptive behaviour.
“This crackdown was just one of a range of measures introduced by the school in the wake of the Ofsted report and it demonstrates that we are taking all aspects of it seriously.
“The one and two-day exclusions are intended as a short, sharp shock and the net result is that we have dramatically lowered incidents of smoking on the school site.”
Following the issue of the notice to improve, government officials will inspect the school again in six months.
Exclusive by Wayne Beese
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Excellent news and if the pupils do not tow the line further action should be implemented. Also if the staff are proved to be not up to the job, they were employed to do I hope they are sacked and not allowed to move on to another school.
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What has happened to this school? Before it became the Sutherland I attended it as the John Hunt school – we were no angels by far but we did not verbally abuse teachers or smoke in sight of them.
I hope the school can pick itself up – it used to be somewhere to be proud of
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When parents asked the school about a smoking policy, they failed to answer, when parents asked about exclusions the school failed to answer, even when these questions were in writing.
The school have taken a harsh line on pupils but failed to take action on failing teachers. These failing teachers have unions and employment law protecting them, pupils and parents are not offered the same level of protection.
The OFSTED report clearly identifies poor teachers as being the issue, not the pupils.
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that is a load of rubbish i actually go to the school n yh there is smoking n disruptive behaviour but isnt there that in every school ?? So Shropshire Star Get A Griipp !!!
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Andrew Finch!! re you comment – ‘Also if the staff are proved to be not up to the job, they were employed to do I hope they are sacked and not allowed to move on to another school’, Do you actually understand the pressure teachers are under? I am a teacher in another school and reading your comments makes my blood boil. I rarely leave school before 5, or finish working until 11. Due to hideous government initiatives and unrealistic targets that LEAs set, teachers and pupils alike are under far too much pressure. As a result, the NUT state that over 75% of their memebers are taking anti-depressants or recieving treatment for stress. Teachers should not be sacked for incompetence but supported. What other profession are you judged in the way we are?? You have league tables in sport etc where footballers earn 6,7 figure salaries – we are judged at least 3 times a year – with a small amound of pay in comparison. Please think about the fact that teachers are hardworking professionals who are under immense pressure before you comment
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We’re year 11′s who attent the Sutherland Business and Enterprise College and despite smoking on site, verbal abuse and distuptive behavior, this is one of the best schools in Shropshire in our opinion… I mean what school doesn’t have its bad qualities?
Some teachers could do with a little imporovment but the vast majority of the staff are very pleasant and understanding towards all students. So why give everyone a bad name just because of the actions of some students?
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Christmas lover stated
“Teachers should not be sacked for incompetence but supported”. And this person is teaching in our schools?? I take it your head has not got a clue this is what you are thinking as you enter his/her school??.
Christamas lover stated
“As a result, the NUT state that over 75% of their memebers are taking anti-depressants or recieving treatment for stress”
UNION PROPAGANDA RUBBISH.The NUT is the biggest teaching union so it is 75% of members not ALL teachers as many do not belong to a union or they belong to many of the smaller ones.
You cant judge footballers pay to a teachers they are sports/celebs it is not the real world to most of us in which to judge our worth .
Why do some teachers need to defend how hard they work on every occasion?. We know the ones who are good and work hard.It reminds me of one guy I used to work with, nicknamed action reply reason he did it twice incase we missed it the first time it seems SOME teachers feel the need to keep showing and telling WHY??.
I have known and do associate with teachers and lecturers over the years many are hard working and very proffesional. I have also had some say to me if they (head/principle) keep pushing me I will go off sick with stress simple these I have seen to be lazy and to quick to go running to the NUT in order to protect them.
Being selfemployed I have stress every day people not late paying the bill etc etc that is the life I chose as teaching is the life these people chose is it not??.
It is not teacher bashing we can leave that in the staff rooms of the teachers. It is if people are not up to the job sack them it happens in the work place every day all over the UK. Also if you wish to see good teachers go to the schools which are doing very well which are many , go to the private sector schools YOU wnat to see preasure go and work in one of these for a term STRESS/PREASURE fantasy illness in these places.
And one final thing with regards to rewarded for incompetence if the caretaker forgot to put the heating on and all pupils and staff were sent home due to H/S temp rules would the caretaker be rewarded or sacked ??? he could be suffering from stress remember or is it an illness only suffered by poor teachers???.
Please xmas lover feel free to correct any mistakes spelling/grammer as I have not used spell check etc etc andit is a good cheap shot inorder to deflect from the issues concerned.
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Teachers, community support officers, Telford folk, Whitchurch folk and even BA staff..Life must be pretty good on the planet Finch or do you just like the sound of your own keyboard..
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Rhiannan sutherland – If your spelling is anything to go by it is proof that drastic action in required at the Sutherland.
And no smoking does not go on in schools which are are the top of Ofsted tables/reports.
Although I do blame the parents myself
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I get the feeling that Mr Finch is a “I went to the University of Life” kind of people.
With regards to the “private sector”. As a person with strong principles, I would not touch the elitist private sector exam factory industry – how stressful it would be to teach there with class sizes of around 10?? I have 32 in one of my classes.
Obviously you are from the Thatcher days where Unions were aboloished and Privitisation seen as important.
I love my job – being able to work with children is an honour and a pleasure – but when did people loose sight of the fact that education is not just about results? It is about a holistic approach to the child – looking at both pastoral and academic issues.
Mr Finch – I challenge you to a year in teaching – come back and argue with me then.
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christamas lover stated
“Mr Finch – I challenge you to a year in teaching – come back and argue with me then” NO thanks it was not my career choice.
And attack the private school sector for what seems some left wing clap trap and drivel behave.
Good results are good results. principles on why you would not teach in the private sector are just dross class size aside you are expected to get results or you are out that is the stress in these schools.
I am from thatcher years as in I left school and went straight on the dole last time we had 3=million on the dole and I have done all sorts of jobs and are now selfemployed you just get on with it or get out of it . The ammount of work related sick notes dished out is obscene what do these people value health or the teachers pay packet etc if the health was a true issue they would be gone.
As for twist my melon many comments I make are tounge in cheek as I am sure your are aware , CSO,TEACHERS ,BA STAFF are a different matter as union power annoys me and the others are paied via the taxes we ALL pay.
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“Chistmas lover!!” – can I suggest that if your grammar and spelling are anything to go by you are part of the problem rather than the solution?
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CHISTMAS lover: if education is such a good thing I suggest you acquire one.
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Clearly Mr Finch has never taught. If he had he would not argue in such a simplistic, misguided way.
Children are a product of their families. If students behave badly it is largely because their families, and therefore society, is failing. It is against this background that teachers in stae schools are asked to; prepare and mark lessons for each student, ensure that each student leaves their lessons having enhanced their academic and pastoral prowess. If anyone should doubt the difficulty of this task try accomplishing this task with your own children!
Teachers perform heroics every day of their working lives. The stress and pressure of taching is often to much to bear. Keep up the good work!
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Y Mab Darogan, for once I salute you on your first line, spot on!
Comment #6 also speaks volumes.
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“It is against this background that teachers in stae schools are asked to; prepare and mark lessons for each student, ensure that each student leaves their lessons having enhanced their academic and pastoral prowess” Well said caring person. Everyone seems to be going completely off the topic here – my argument is that teachers and pupils alike should be treated with the respect they deserve.
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christmaslover – are you a teacher at the Sutherland, if so, you are clearly trying to cover what the report said and the fact that the school failed to tell parents that the report was available but to strategically only release page 13 of a 14 page report.
If you’re not a teacher at this school, can you really comment on what you clearly do not know.
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9# [Rhiannan sutherland – If your spelling is anything to go by it is proof that drastic action in required at the Sutherland.]
[And no smoking does not go on in schools which are are the top of Ofsted tables/reports.]
1)Petty comment Y Mab. Thanks for comments Rhiannon, Linzi and Peter it is nice to hear the voice of youth on here for a change and the real situation and your support of your school rather than the newspaper story.
2)Is that so, I mean really Y Mab? :p
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caring person said:
“Clearly Mr Finch has never taught. If he had he would not argue in such a simplistic, misguided way”
Clearly a very poor put down above in order to gain the upper hand so I will ignore it and put to one side for a moment.
In last nights shropshire star I clearly stated the problems with the so called broken society which (includes children) that we live in Today take a look. However some children who do not behave at school do behave well at home and this could be for many reasons including poor teaching ie bored within the classroom not an excuse but a reason also the report we are talking about blames some staff who are having to stay behind am I correct???if they are confident then they can refuse to stay behind and enlist the help of the NUT.
As for this comment from caring person “Teachers perform heroics every day of their working lives” Hang your head in shame. Heroics are performed by men and women on a lot less pay than teachers in the battlefield over the last 6 years and beyond.
And for “keep up the good work” clearly they have not been doing so????. Role on the next ellection MOT’S for teachers will go ahead also with the tory’s. they can deal with the NUT then, as they the NUT are guilty of protecting teachers who can’t teach.
All at the other tax payers expense so teachers who can teach and work hard keep it up and the teachers who phone in sick on a regular basis , abuse the word stress, abuse the words over worked,abuse the system ,and abuse other tax payers do the decent thing and hand in your notice REASON you cant do the job you trained to do excuse after excuse show some back bone and walk and enter a job you can do.
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Y Mab Darogan @ 9
Unfortunately Rhiannan’s spelling seems to be indicative of how much technology has taken over – I’ve seen my friend’s daughter chatting online to friends and FB postings and teenagers have a whole new language to themselves consisting of dropping letters out and adding extra ones in. It’s nigh impossible to understand which I think may be the purpose. And if she sends me a text I end up ringing her to find out what she meant to say!
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In an age where teachers are unable to punish students for petty misbehaviour for fear that they will receive a year of intimidation from students, or be accused of abuse by them (which seems increasingly common) it doesn’t seem that much of a suprise that standards are dropping within schools. What I can’t understand is what makes these students think that their behaviour, be it smoking on site or abusive language towards staff, is acceptable. I finished school 6 years ago, and I don’t remember “youth” being as loutish as it is now. If these kids think that when they finish school with poor grades (if any) and then waltz into a job, swear at their boss and then light up wherever they please, they will be in for a rude awakening. Don’t blame the staff, it’s society and a lack of respect and discipline which is ruining our schools.
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“Teachers at the school in Gibbons Road, Trench, have also been ordered to stay behind after classes once a week to receive extra tuition to improve their skills and lessons for pupils”
Not just the students at fault here.
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At the risk of repeating myself, Mr Finch has never taught if he had he would not be talking such nonesense.
Society gets the sort of education system and thereby the type of students, it creates. The problems that exist in some schools are as a result of the deficiences in society at large not the teaching students are getting.
Armed service people are awre of the risks when they sign up. Some schools are close to being a battlezone the difference is that teachers are not trained in warefare.
Teachers are take time of for illness because like people from other jobs they are ill. What evidence does Mr Finch have to prove otherwise?
Teachers are doing a wonderful job in trying circumstances, they deserve and earn the highest praise.
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I have been reading the comments with some interest. I would also like to read the full report too when OfSTED publish it on line.
On the one side OfSTED does seem to be turning into an officious box ticking group of jobsworths, who, it would appear, will now mark a school down heavily if their inspectors are not challenged when they arrive, as this means that the school is not sufficiently aware of their responsibility to “safeguard” the pupils. They equally often appear to have made up their minds about the results BEFORE they arrive at the school, and are merely looking for the corroborative evidence.
On the other hand, one has to ask that if the head at the Sutherland now feels that pupils have to be suspended to enforce the kind of discipline which was taken almost for granted when I was at school, and hold remdedial classes for teachers now – what WAS he doing before? And what were the Governors doing? They are supposed to be the “critical friend” – were they too friendly and not critical enough? Should the Chair of Governors not hang his or her head in shame?
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Quickly, blame the teachers, all lazy unprofessionals eh?
This school has improved beyond recongition. No one has reported that 40% of schools since September have apparently failed their Ofsted inspections due to new criteria. This school needs an arm round it, encouragement, support and positivity for the huge work and progress they are making. The students there have lives which stretch our normal comfortable parameters of normality, to have them learning and making progress is a huge achievemnet, welldone Sutherland school! When the other local schools come under the spotlight under the new criteria, i hope the news reporting is a little more enlightened when inadequate is declared. Ofsted needs investigating not this school, leave them alone.
Well done Sutherland, I pray that God blesses the school and its staff.
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If people took time to download and read the report, it is OFSTED Inspectors blaming the teachers and they said that the behaviour of students is down to poor teaching and teachers allowing of topic activity to become disruptive, they blame a wide variety of issues fairly and squarely at the teachers and managers door.
The school is now saying the Shropshire Star have it in for them, it is the teachers that are failing, yet they continue to blame everyone else.
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as a school leaver at sutherland i recognised when i was there the show that the headteacher was trying to put on in order to fool the public and parents into thinking that the school was the best thing since slice bread, i could go into detail but to be honest i cant be bothered, by the way i left with good grades i worked hard for them, i share the oppinion its not all the teachers fault, however putting on a show to make the school seem the best wasn’t the best idea as it seems the school has finally slipped up!
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Andrew,
You tell us you left school and went straight on the dole in the Tory years, and yet you still support them, and all the harm they would do to education.
Clearly, you’re not a quick learner…
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caring person,(question that name)
NO I have never taught at the risk of repeating myself . However I have the right to comment especially on people who are paid by the tax payer .
What other jobs have teachers ever done??? in your view if they have not done any other type of work they then must not comment on others must be an ignorant out of touch lot ?? .
You mention Heroics,battlezones, when you mention the classroom or when you mention a teachers job, you happily abuse the words to make you feel a tad bit better .
You clearly come from the school of all teachers are correct , no poor teachers,no work shy teachers it is all society and the children , and the world would fall around us if people of your ilk were not around.
As for what evidence do I have about teacher sickness records only of what I have seen and been told by the odd Head (what evidence do you have of heroics battlezones can we have some examples of heroics? battlezones??) yes they do invite the odd mortal to a barbi for a good old political debate helps being related I suppose .
We have evidence of good teachers, schools for all of us to see in results and ofsted reports and excellent that is.
However the NUT and people of your ilk attempt to hide and protect poor teachers why is this??? who is hiding what???.
As for soldiers knowing the risks yes they did and oh how greatful we are they do not bring up the word stress, underpreasure for results etc etc where on earth would we be.
As I have said teachers knew the job they entered (as we all do) for goodness sake teachers and the NUT have told us for years how hard it is and yet many enter the job why? oh dont tell it is a calling.
I would also add that many entering the job now it seems will be graduates of a higher order so perhaps they may well push out poor teachers as they are a little bit more aggressive and will not suffer poor work associates bring them down.
And peter i came out of school in 1981 to high unemployment but I soon realised all you do is pull your socks up and get out and look for work no matter what an employee is an employee just one is paid a little more than the other or sit on your rear end dreaming of a dream no presure job oh lala land im waiting for you. What I did find many who were unemployed did not want to work as they had either had never got the work ethic or had lost it, or lost the will and if you let them they would pull you down , so peter it took 6 months but it was a good learning experiance.
caring person some people have cried wolf a little to often.
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Totally agree with Christmas Lover, you obviously have passion for teaching and love the profession but are all to aware of the changes that have been implemented to make everything more about government guidelines and targets than actually teaching the children!
As for Andrew Finch, obviously a bitter man who pretends to know everything about anything even though he knows absolutely nothing about the subject! Its all to easy to blame the teachers for all the problems within the schools and younger generations but have you ever heard of parenting? Teachers are in the profession to educate the children and help them learn yet if the children misbehave its the teachers fault?
And as for the nasty and hurtful comments regarding teacher illnesses and depression I would request you keep them to yourself.
My Mum was a teacher for 35 years in different schools from Wolverhampton to Telford schools. She is passionate about teaching however the new guidelines have made it increasingly hard for her to do her job –teaching the children. She daily goes into her school at 8 in morning and doesn’t return until just before 6, she then sits and plans the weeks work, marks books, writes reports and fills in forms until about 9 at night, sometimes longer.
Yes my Mum and many others decided to go into teaching, however no-one seems to understand and acknowledge the changes that have been implemented in the past 10, 15 years! The long hours and constant pressure and stress to meet new and may I say pointless targets not benefiting the children in any way, the abuse received from parents when children do not achieve the highest marks, the amount of children in classes, the lack of resources and money, the amount of social work that they have to undertake, the amount of disturbing things that the children are going through that as a teacher you recognize and realise first, all of this has resulted in my Mum becoming increasingly poorly and depressed. She has subsequently resigned early from the profession which is a great shame as she really is a wonderful teacher which is clear by the children in her classes, parents and work colleagues reaction to her leaving.
Hopefully Andrew this may give you a little bit of knowledge on the subject of teaching and the changes it is going through. I would appreciate if you do not post any comments in regards to my Mum out of respect as your views have clearly been shown above, just acknowledge that you should not tar everyone with the same brush, some people genuinely care and work hard at teaching but things can get too much for the best of them!
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totallyshocked
I think it is you that is bitter I am not.Do you speak as me as a non teacher with only the advantage of knowing a teacher? and what you see and hear?.
What a number of you on here have missed either because you have not read the report properly or you choose to ignore it SOME TEACHERS are to blame SOME I said please note. Stop blaming all of society and the children Stop trying to win arguments with cheap shots ADDRESS the problems children AND teachers and society.
I have not and never have tarred all with the same brush it seems teachers and you are???. I would also add ALL jobs change ALL jobs become different as methods etc change and develope and in teaching it seems that the calibre of the teacher and everything else that goes with it demands higher standards, higher levels many will rise to the challenge and some teachers will fall and sadly they must accept this . I find it hard to believe that the majority of teachers will not accept this and the NUT defend the minority of poor teachers out in the classroom, If I had a work associate not pulling their weight I would want them out.
I will not comment further, but I will carry on enjoying my xmas holliday and merry xmas to you all .
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totallyshocked
I think it is you that is bitter I am not.Do you speak as me as a non teacher with only the advantage of knowing a teacher? and what you see and hear?.
What a number of you on here have missed either because you have not read the report properly or you choose to ignore it SOME TEACHERS are to blame SOME I said please note. Stop blaming all of society and the children Stop trying to win arguments with cheap shots ADDRESS the problems children AND teachers and society.
I have not and never have tarred all with the same brush it seems teachers and you are???. I would also add ALL jobs change ALL jobs become different as methods etc change and develope and in teaching it seems that the calibre of the teacher and everything else that goes with it demands higher standards, higher levels many will rise to the challenge and some teachers will fall and sadly they must accept this . I find it hard to believe that the majority of teachers will not accept this and the NUT defend the minority of poor teachers out in the classroom, If I had a work associate not pulling their weight I would want them out.
Iwill not comment any further escuse for a cheap shot if anyone wishes to, but I will carry on with my xmas hols merry xmas to all .
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Andrew – you say you’ve never tarred all with the same brush? Are you the same Andrew Finch who labelled all Vauxhall drivers, anti hunt protesters and Arriva bus drivers as having low self esteem in previous threads?
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As a Teaching Assistant who has worked in Telford for 15 years I have seen the job change greatly in that time and unfortunately such behaviour is commonly becoming the ‘norm.’ Pupils are given more ‘rights’ and staff have very little practical powers to deal with disruptive behaviour. Dealing with such incidents on a daily basis is extremely wearing physically and mentally. Many of the causes of such behaviour lie with lack of family values and poor parenting and more should be done to help these families deal with their issues. After all, we in school are ‘in loco parentis’ but we’re not actually the pupils parents. What we do in school often makes very little difference if at the end of the day a child is going home to a family who does not have the education/ time to be bothered to bring their children up to value themselves and others. Having children comes with great responsibilities and some parents are just not facing up to them.
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thank goodness mr finch has finally agreed to leave this topic (which he clearly knows very little about) alone.
Pam said:
Dec 17th, 2009 at 13:53 christmaslover – are you a teacher at the Sutherland, if so, you are clearly trying to cover what the report said and the fact that the school failed to tell parents that the report was available but to strategically only release page 13 of a 14 page report.
I am not a teacher at this school but have read the ofsted report, I am trying to argue about the rights for teachers and pupuls alike.
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christmas lover, I know this school extremely well inside and out, from the teachers perspective and pupils. The issues raised in the report and more have been discussed many times over with staff, the one great failing that the school has is involving the parents in the school and communication with them. these issues have been raised in all previous reports, if the school communicated with parents and stopped enforcing various rules, the great majority of which parents are not informed about, this would go along way to creating good relationships. My husband has vigorously defended this school on previous issues, but over the last 2 years, so much wrong has happened even he as a staunch supporter can no longer support the school, this is unfortunately the case with many parents and is part of the reason why so few returned the form to the inspector.
With this school, you really need to be in it to fully understand and i’ve had 20 years of education experiences at this school, never has it been so bad, I can assure you and others of that.
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It’s no good excluding these pupils, they won’t care cos they don’t wanna be there anyway!!
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