Parents’ fury after naughty kids are made to stand on stage during assembly and apologise to fellow pupils for ‘affecting their life chances’
School chiefs at Magna Academy in Dorset has decided to punish pupils who 'disrupted learning' for classmates by making an example of them
PARENTS have been left fuming after one school is ordering naughty schoolchildren to get up on stage during assembly and apologise to fellow pupils for 'letting them down'.
Pupils who misbehave at the outstanding-rated Magna Academy in Poole, Dorset, are told to tell the other 640 pupils they are 'sorry for letting them down and impacting negatively on their life chances'.
School chiefs at the secondary school decided to punish naughty pupils who 'disrupted learning' for classmates by making an example of them in front of the whole school.
Those who are suspended also have to bring a parent with them on their first day back at school, with the parent having to sit next to them in class for the whole day and even 'supervise them' during lunch break.
Last year the school hit the headlines when it admitted 'isolating' up to 40 pupils for infringements like arriving at school with the wrong length pencil cases and rulers.
Pupils were told they were only allowed 30cm-long pencil cases - not longer or shorter - or face being sent home.
A letter from the school, warning about the most recent 'assembly apology rule', states that if parents aren't happy with the rules they can take their child out of the school.
It reads: “If you feel that the Academy’s expectations of behaviour do not fit with your personal ethos or that of your children, it remains your right to have your child educated in a school whose policies you do agree with.”
One parent, who asked not to be named, said today: "This is not going to improve the behaviour of the naughtiest pupils - it will be seen as a badge of honour to be up on stage and I dare say there will be some very sarcastic apologies.
"For a parent to have to take a day off work to sit in school with their child is taking things too far - the head is out of control."
Another local, calling themselves Parley wrote: "Maybe instead of blaming the students this dictator of a head should look to his own teachers.
"Trying to belittle the children at this school seems to be an 'Aspiration' Academy ethos."
Another, calling themselves the Artful Bodger wrote: "That's going to go well when some 'apologetic' kid stands up and says "Stuff you!" in front of the whole school."
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Another, calling themselves The Donald wrote: "These academy heads are getting way beyond themselves.
";Humiliating troubled children is NOT the answer. I agree with you and hope some cheeky kid puts this pompous twit of a head firmly in his place."
One, calling themselves Master Plan, wrote: "(I) have friends children that go there and I have listen them about what this head does is unbelievable.
"To send children home for having wrong colour socks on, a skirt an inch to short and not coming in with a pencil case!!
"Plus another friend son was put in isolation because his headphones fell out of his bag while he was in the class. He's hardly inspirational that stuff would make kids rebel."
ArmChairExpert wrote: "Ritual humiliation of kids. Way to go Magna Academy!"
One local stood up for the new policy, and calling himself online foggy1965 wrote: "Well done.... a head of a school with the guts to do this.These kids will get some good work ethics and with luck see that the real world expects good behaviour."
On a trip to the school last year, former PM David Cameron said it was 'truly inspiring'.
Principal Richard Tutt said: “Magna’s latest letter to parents outlines the amazing progress our students have made, and how Magna has been recognised as one of the highest performing schools in the South West.
“Everything we do at Magna aims to provide our students with the highest possible qualifications and life chances.
"In order to achieve this, it is vital that no student is allowed to disrupt the learning of others, and that they fully understand the consequence of their actions if they choose to do so.”
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