Great Yarmouth Charter Academy

[90sWereBetter]

Great Yarmouth parents slam strict rules at failing academy

Pupils have been told to be in bed by 21:30 in a set of strict new rules at the failing school. The new head of a failing school has come in for severe criticism after introducing strict new rules to improve pupil performance.
Concerns over the "army-like schooling" at Great Yarmouth Charter Academy have been expressed by parents on Facebook.

New rules include banning mobile phones and children have been told to be in bed by 21:30 every night.But a spokesman for the school said what pupils needed was "the right environment to learn and succeed".

'Indiscipline, failure'

Great Yarmouth High School was taken over by Inspiration Trust and re-named Charter Academy. Until this summer it had "some of the worst GCSE results in the entire country", according to new principal Barry Smith.
"In a typical class of 30 pupils, 21 pupils left the school without even a pass in English and maths," he said.
"As the headmaster of Charter Academy I cannot, I will not, allow the indiscipline, the disrespect, the failure, the bullying, the truancy and the lack of parental support, that were all a part of daily life at the former high school, to continue.
"There's a lot more to school than just passing exams. Every good teacher knows that. But, when push comes to shove, kids need those grades."

A Facebook page was set up by parent Kelvin Seal, on which parents expressed concern over the strict uniform rules and detention for dental appointments taken during school hours.
Children have been told to be in bed by 21:30 every night and up at 06:30, and warned those claiming to feel sick during lessons would be handed a bucket to vomit in instead of being allowed to leave classrooms.
Seeing a parent and child crying outside the school, Mr Seal told the BBC he politely asked the head: "'Excuse me, why are you doing this to children?' His reply was 'If you don't like it, get out.'"

Inspiration Trust spokesman James Goffin said: "Unfortunately there has been a lot of rumour and inaccurate information spread on social media that has understandably concerned some parents and pupils."

A document shared with the BBC revealed the standards of discipline expected from pupils. The 22-page document included the following:

If you slouch, interrupt, talk, pick up your pen or open a book before you receive the signal, if you turn around, if you nudge your friend, if you make eye contact with your friend, if you look anywhere apart from at your teacher, the board or your work - you will be punished.

You never get out of your chair without permission at Charter.

In corridors, we walk in single file on the left. No bags on our backs. No turning round.

At Charter you listen to every single word your teacher says very, very carefully. You don't pick up your pen or your ruler, or anything else, until your teacher gives you the signal.

Teachers never leave lesson to go to the toilet. You need to be professional too.

Parent Steven Holmes said his daughter came home in tears at the end of her first day in year seven saying she had been shouted at all day.
"I want her to learn not be in fear, " said Mr Holmes. "This isn't about discipline. It's bullying."
Mr Goffin said: "The academy will be holding a meeting for all parents in the coming days so they can hear first-hand what Great Yarmouth Charter Academy is really all about."

Link to said document.

Imagine being shy or on the autistic spectrum at this school. You simply wouldn't survive because Bazza Smith would destroy your self-worth. I am absolutely seething reading that document. Yes, there are problems with schools in Great Yarmouth but this is absolutely the wrong way to tackle it.

 

[DarloRich]

Link to said document.

Imagine being shy or on the autistic spectrum at this school. You simply wouldn't survive because Bazza Smith would destroy your self-worth. I am absolutely seething reading that document. Yes, there are problems with schools in Great Yarmouth but this is absolutely the wrong way to tackle it.

Yet the following paragraph is entirely correct.

"In a typical class of 30 pupils, 21 pupils left the school without even a pass in English and maths," he said.
"As the headmaster of Charter Academy I cannot, I will not, allow the indiscipline, the disrespect, the failure, the bullying, the truancy and the lack of parental support, that were all a part of daily life at the former high school, to continue.
"There's a lot more to school than just passing exams. Every good teacher knows that. But, when push comes to shove, kids need those grades."

Sounds to me that to be the bullies who prey on the shy and the autistic and the awkward and the different will get sorted out.

 

[ainsworth74]

Sounds like the innocent are going to be caught up in trying to punish/correct those that are the problem to me!

 

[Busaholic]

It would appear that Chairman Mao has been re-incarnated in Great Yarmouth. A head teacher trying to make a name for himself: funny how many of them appear in later reports utterly discredited, not that I'm saying Mr Smith will fall into this category, of course. Inspiration Trust has an Orwellian ring to it too, don't you think?

 

[DarloRich]

Sounds like the innocent are going to be caught up in trying to punish/correct those that are the problem to me!

It would appear that Chairman Mao has been re-incarnated in Great Yarmouth. A head teacher trying to make a name for himself: funny how many of them appear in later reports utterly discredited, not that I'm saying Mr Smith will fall into this category, of course. Inspiration Trust has an Orwellian ring to it too, don't you think?

clearly harsh measures are needed to reset expectations of behaviour, attendance, dress and communication. Hand wringing liberal social work style treatment seems to have delivered terrible education performance. Why not give something else a try?

 

[ainsworth74]

clearly harsh measures are needed to reset expectations of behaviour, attendance, dress and communication. Hand wringing liberal social work style treatment seems to have delivered terrible education performance. Why not give something else a try?

Ends justify the means?

 

[Busaholic]

clearly harsh measures are needed to reset expectations of behaviour, attendance, dress and communication. Hand wringing liberal social work style treatment seems to have delivered terrible education performance. Why not give something else a try?

It's about Mr Smith and his delusions/neuroses. Trust me or not, I experienced this style of schooling in the 1950s and 1960s and have no nostalgia for it whatsoever. He doesn't own the pupils, or even employ them, what time they go to bed is a matter for the pupil and their parents. I went to secondary school as an academic child and so despised my (and others') treatment that I constantly rebelled against it and, so, in the end, did as little work as I could get away with and so didn't get the grades expected. A change of school was out of the question then, unless enforced, and no 6th form colleges existed in my area.

 

[DarloRich]

Ends justify the means?

It's about Mr Smith and his delusions/neuroses. Trust me or not, I experienced this style of schooling in the 1950s and 1960s and have no nostalgia for it whatsoever. He doesn't own the pupils, or even employ them, what time they go to bed is a matter for the pupil and their parents. I went to secondary school as an academic child and so despised my (and others') treatment that I constantly rebelled against it and, so, in the end, did as little work as I could get away with and so didn't get the grades expected. A change of school was out of the question then, unless enforced, and no 6th form colleges existed in my area.

"In a typical class of 30 pupils, 21 pupils left the school without even a pass in English and maths," - that has to be unacceptable surely?

I am not saying these are nice or cuddly or warm ideas but surely they are worth a try. Other options seem to have failed. Perhaps some harshness is needed or even, dare it be said, justified?

 

[ainsworth74]

I am not saying these are nice or cuddly or warm ideas but surely they are worth a try. Other options seem to have failed. Perhaps some harshness is needed or even, dare it be said, justified?

So it's an acceptable measure to hand a bucket to a child that's feeling ill to vomit in?

 

[DarloRich]

So it's an acceptable measure to hand a bucket to a child that's feeling ill to vomit in?

We all know kids will extract the urine given a chance. I am sure we all did. This might flush out those who just want to nip to the bogs for a fag

I expect there has been a plague of kids feigning illness to skive off lessons and cause a disruption to those wanting to learn mainly because they have been able to get away with it. This might stop them and show that messing about wont be allowed.

However I think this may well turn out to be the key line: Unfortunately there has been a lot of rumour and inaccurate information spread on social media that has understandably concerned some parents and pupils.

 

[ainsworth74]

Excellent, I'm glad that the appropriate response to this issue is to have some child end up vomiting in class rather than perhaps policing the problem more directly by targeting the actual offenders.

 

[Busaholic]

"In a typical class of 30 pupils, 21 pupils left the school without even a pass in English and maths," - that has to be unacceptable surely?

I am not saying these are nice or cuddly or warm ideas but surely they are worth a try. Other options seem to have failed. Perhaps some harshness is needed or even, dare it be said, justified?

It's certainly not great. I find the word 'unacceptable' pejorative, though: unacceptable to whom, exactly?
I've no problem with discipline and order in schools, it's just that trying to achieve it with an iron rod doesn't work in my experience. Do as I do, not do as I say, is a much better ethos. Respect is earned, you can't have it beaten into you, or its nearest modern-day equivalent. I loved learning and only wished that my school could have concentrated more on providing it.

 

[DarloRich]

So it's an acceptable measure to hand a bucket to a child that's feeling ill to vomit in?

Excellent, I'm glad that the appropriate response to this issue is to have some child end up vomiting in class rather than perhaps policing the problem more directly by targeting the actual offenders.

I can think of about 1 occasion in the years I was at senior school when anyone was actually sick in the class room. I can recall many times when we pretended we were sick to skive of French or maths

As I said the only quote attributable to the school is :

"In a typical class of 30 pupils, 21 pupils left the school without even a pass in English and maths," he said.
"As the headmaster of Charter Academy I cannot, I will not, allow the indiscipline, the disrespect, the failure, the bullying, the truancy and the lack of parental support, that were all a part of daily life at the former high school, to continue.
"There's a lot more to school than just passing exams. Every good teacher knows that. But, when push comes to shove, kids need those grades."

the rest seems hearsay put about by parents without any context.

It's certainly not great. I find the word 'unacceptable' pejorative, though: unacceptable to whom, exactly?

unacceptable to anyone with a modicum of brain! How can anyone expect to get a job without such basic qualifications and skills. Having lived in Great Yarmouth getting some good grades and getting the hell out of Dodge seems about the only sensible thing to do!

I've no problem with discipline and order in schools, it's just that trying to achieve it with an iron rod doesn't work in my experience. Do as I do, not do as I say, is a much better ethos. Respect is earned, you can't have it beaten into you, or its nearest modern-day equivalent. I loved learning and only wished that my school could have concentrated more on providing it.

It does seem the softly softly approach hasn't worked either.................

 

[Cowley]

I wonder if this is a case of wiping the slate clean and starting from the base level up?
If there were that many problems at the school and he decided (you'd hope with his team) that the only way to fix it was to not let even the tiniest bit of bad behaviour go and when everyone's got the message - start relaxing certain rules that are then in the control of the school rather than the chaotic disfunctional situation they've been in up until now.

These are purely observations and not answers having seen our six kids all going through or currently in high school (three different ones), in the last nearly ten years.

If one of their schools had been failing that badly I'd want to see something pretty drastic done although as I said, maybe this isn't how it'll always be.
You would hope that any pupil with specific special needs would have had those needs recognised and catered for even with this change of regime, some that felt in danger previously may feel much more comfortable in the current situation than they did before, some might feel more claustrophobic.
I wonder what the percentage of parents that are in favour of this is? That would be very interesting to know...

One of my reservations is this: it's one thing to set these rules in place but you have to have every single teacher follow it to the letter. Some people are cut out for treating people that way and some just aren't.
It will be very difficult for some teachers to change their personalities and start 'laying down the law' if that's not the way they work.
Although possibly they might have been struggling more than most with the way the school was previously set up...

This is a "LOOK AT THIS!!!" type of headline, but there's clearly so much that we don't know.

 

[AlterEgo]

Where I went to school, this was how it operated. (1998-2004)

You stood up when teachers entered the room. You always called them sir or miss. You never had your shirt untucked. Punishments were severe but rarely used, as there was an esprit de corps about the school which meant you'd felt you were letting the side down. It was in the Top 25 state schools when I left; an all-boys grammar.

 

[Busaholic]

Where I went to school, this was how it operated. (1998-2004)

You stood up when teachers entered the room. You always called them sir or miss. You never had your shirt untucked. Punishments were severe but rarely used, as there was an esprit de corps about the school which meant you'd felt you were letting the side down. It was in the Top 25 state schools when I left; an all-boys grammar.

That sounds like the basis of a good school to me, if you accept single sex education. Their were no 'misses' at my school, either among teachers or pupils: the school secretary was therefore a member of a singularly exotic species.

 

[bussnapperwm]

It's all about education, education, education

Rules never harmed a child. If the parents don't likeep it then tough, either lump it or find another school.

 

[Cowley]

Where I went to school, this was how it operated. (1998-2004)

You stood up when teachers entered the room. You always called them sir or miss. You never had your shirt untucked. Punishments were severe but rarely used, as there was an esprit de corps about the school which meant you'd felt you were letting the side down. It was in the Top 25 state schools when I left; an all-boys grammar.

Out of curiosity AlterEgo what were the punishments? Was it a case of you knew that you were lucky to be in that school and the ultimate punishment (that they were prepared to dish out at times) was being expelled?
Were they particularly domineering in their approach and you just felt threatened in some way (I don't mean physically)?

We were one of the first bunch that grew up without the threat of the cane (high school 1985 - 1989), although I have friends not much older than me that did (my other half in NI did too).
Some pupils (and it was a small but at times disruptive percentage) knew that they were on fairly safe ground messing about in certain lessons. Our teachers in the previous junior schools were allowed to wack us though, and you always knew that some potentially could and would whereas some never did.

 

[AlterEgo]

Out of curiosity AlterEgo what were the punishments? Was it a case of you knew that you were lucky to be in that school and the ultimate punishment (that they were prepared to dish out at times) was being expelled?
Were they particularly domineering in their approach and you just felt threatened in some way (I don't mean physically)?

We were one of the first bunch that grew up without the threat of the cane (high school 1985 - 1989), although I have friends not much older than me that did (my other half in NI did too).
Some pupils (and it was a small but at times disruptive percentage) knew that they were on fairly safe ground messing about in certain lessons. Our teachers in the previous junior schools were allowed to wack us though, and you always knew that some potentially could and would whereas some never did.

This was after corporal punishment of course, but in general detention after school was the most common punishment. This worked effectively, because it was a super-selective grammar school which had most of its students come from outside the town. This meant everyone got the local authority school buses, of which there was only one, and you'd miss it - and therefore there was no escaping telling your parents that you were being kept behind after school. In my mind the worst thing school could do was somehow let my parents know I'd been disappointing, because my parents cared. It was this which struck fear into me.

If the parents don't care, the school can't leverage their punishment. Schools should be stricter than they are at present, and be much less tolerant of individual circumstances. Life is not fair and school is a good place to learn it. I was, outside school, in the Air Cadets, and quickly learnt that life is Unfair and there is Nothing You Can Do About It, except take pride in yourself, your community/peers, take responsibility, and Get Things Done.

There is too much buggering about at schools these days. That sounds terribly old fashioned but remember I did my GCSEs in 2002 which isn't that long ago.

I came from a working class background (both parents came from abject poverty and my father in particular from a time and place where nothing was fair at all), and I think it's stood me in good stead. I don't spend time complaining and even though I think the Academy in the OP is being a bit draconian, it'll do the pupils good to learn that life is not easy and they should sit down and shut up. Good pupils will have little to be concerned about.

 

[DarloRich]

Where I went to school, this was how it operated. (1998-2004)

You stood up when teachers entered the room. You always called them sir or miss. You never had your shirt untucked. Punishments were severe but rarely used, as there was an esprit de corps about the school which meant you'd felt you were letting the side down. It was in the Top 25 state schools when I left; an all-boys grammar.

This was after corporal punishment of course, but in general detention after school was the most common punishment. This worked effectively, because it was a super-selective grammar school which had most of its students come from outside the town. This meant everyone got the local authority school buses, of which there was only one, and you'd miss it - and therefore there was no escaping telling your parents that you were being kept behind after school. In my mind the worst thing school could do was somehow let my parents know I'd been disappointing, because my parents cared. It was this which struck fear into me.

If the parents don't care, the school can't leverage their punishment. Schools should be stricter than they are at present, and be much less tolerant of individual circumstances. Life is not fair and school is a good place to learn it. I was, outside school, in the Air Cadets, and quickly learnt that life is Unfair and there is Nothing You Can Do About It, except take pride in yourself, your community/peers, take responsibility, and Get Things Done.

There is too much buggering about at schools these days. That sounds terribly old fashioned but remember I did my GCSEs in 2002 which isn't that long ago.

I came from a working class background (both parents came from abject poverty and my father in particular from a time and place where nothing was fair at all), and I think it's stood me in good stead. I don't spend time complaining and even though I think the Academy in the OP is being a bit draconian, it'll do the pupils good to learn that life is not easy and they should sit down and shut up. Good pupils will have little to be concerned about.

very similar to my school if a couple of years ahead of you. ( Plus a similar parental background & I was in the cadets!)

Add to your list: Your tie was done up properly with a sensible knot. You wore a proper collared shirt, black sensible shoes and you behaved ( at least in teachers presence) properly. There was no need for a behavior contract.

 

[SS4]

This was after corporal punishment of course, but in general detention after school was the most common punishment. This worked effectively, because it was a super-selective grammar school which had most of its students come from outside the town. This meant everyone got the local authority school buses, of which there was only one, and you'd miss it - and therefore there was no escaping telling your parents that you were being kept behind after school. In my mind the worst thing school could do was somehow let my parents know I'd been disappointing, because my parents cared. It was this which struck fear into me.

It's kind of different for a super-selective grammar school than it is for a regular comprehensive. Of course there are parents that care even if their kids go to the local comp but less proportionally. A super-selective school can (and often do) cherry pick the best students from primary schools making themselves look much better as they've picked the kids who aren't autistic, who don't have behavioural issues and largely understand the importance of education. Did you have to sit (and pass) the 11 plus to gain entry?

I'm not belittling your experience or the effect it had on you (I was generally in the same boat but in a mixed comprehensive). I'm just saying that it's unfair to extrapolate your anecdotal experience to a wide set.

If the parents don't care, the school can't leverage their punishment. Schools should be stricter than they are at present, and be much less tolerant of individual circumstances. Life is not fair and school is a good place to learn it. I was, outside school, in the Air Cadets, and quickly learnt that life is Unfair and there is Nothing You Can Do About It, except take pride in yourself, your community/peers, take responsibility, and Get Things Done.

True enough but reasonable adjustments should be made to cater for pupils with disabilities including autism. That's a legal right for adults after all. Some parents need to stop seeing school as a glorified daycare but how, when both adults need to work to earn enough money to live modestly?

There is too much buggering about at schools these days. That sounds terribly old fashioned but remember I did my GCSEs in 2002 which isn't that long ago.

That's 15 years ago and you know how they say a week is a long time in politics? After all, GCSE Maths and English changed to a much more strict standard this year - I wonder what the pass rate was last year?

The world has changed a huge amount in 15 years. The job market is unenviable for a school leaver today: apprenticeships in trades remain a good idea but the government is not cracking down on those abusing the scheme to provide what should be fully paid jobs, those jobs which do pay minimum wage (I refuse to call it the living wage) are often zero hour, no fixed contract, part time, seasonal (especially in Great Yarmouth I'd imagine) or all of the above. How is a young person meant to motivate themselves to do well as school when that is what awaits them?

Local authority cutbacks, especially vicious in poor (and hence Labour) areas mean less activities and less social worker time for those who need them.

I came from a working class background (both parents came from abject poverty and my father in particular from a time and place where nothing was fair at all), and I think it's stood me in good stead. I don't spend time complaining and even though I think the Academy in the OP is being a bit draconian, it'll do the pupils good to learn that life is not easy and they should sit down and shut up. Good pupils will have little to be concerned about.

Being a good pupil is far more than being able to follow the rules. The rules scare pupils into the following them and when you get your respect from fear it's little better than Stalinist authoritarianism especially when it's based on a cult of personality (the headteacher) and without regards to evidence.

 

[alxndr]

I don't disagree with the fact that more discipline is needed, but this is perhaps too far.

I haven't read the entire document as it's rather unwieldy, but the eye contact part, if nothing else, grinds my gears. I've never been good at eye contact, and it's only in the last couple of years that I've realised that it's something which is expected. Only twice in my life have people had issues with it, and the most recent reprimand for it still plays on my mind a great deal several months later. Yet it's never held me back, and certainly didn't hinder my learning.

It also concerns me that they're trying to quash any creativity or curiosity out of their pupils. It's very much an attitude of "the teacher's always right" going on here, which isn't necessarily helpful. People should be able to recognise and follow authority, yes, but where appropriate they should also feel able to challenge and question. "Challenging behaviour" is something at least a few employers are quite keen on. I doubt this school would encourage it.

The blanket rules on bedtimes and times to get up strike me as rather controlling too. 0630 may not be the appropriate time for everyone to get up depending on where they live (not sure of the catchment area for this school) or their families commitments. Nor do I think it's their place to determine what kids do outside of school, and realistically, if the parents can't set suitable bedtimes or control the activities their kids do, then are they really going to start doing this just because a school says so?

On top of it all, there are at least a couple of typos in the document, which in my eyes makes a bit of a mockery of it. If they're so keen on their pupils presenting a professional image shouldn't they be setting a good example themselves? And I can't make heads or tails of the bizarre use of asterisks to replace all the vowels in the "SLANT" definition on page 3. Not a lot of proof-reading or professionalism here in my eyes.

One also has to question the sense in producing a 22 page document outlining the rules for a bunch of kids they've repeatedly told will end up functionally illiterate if they don't follow said rules...