Great Yarmouth Charter Academy: Head defends strict rules

After introducing a new stricter regime, the principal of Great Yarmouth Charter Academy is defending the strict regime.

The principal, Barry Smith, was heavily criticized by parents after introducing the new rule. Students were given a set time (21:30 BST) to be in bed. Phones could be confiscated for up to 6 weeks.

Smith said the rule was made to enhance the exam result of pupils, after disappointing results came from the GCSE.

Smith met parents at school meeting. Smith told BBC that, “Their kids are not going to be bullied... or spat at. They are going to leave achieving really good exam results. Are exams everything? No. But they keep doors open. And exam results have been through the floor [at this school].”

The school has been warned to not apply the rules to Autistic students by the National Autistic Society.

A 12 year old pupil, Reese O’Rourke, suffers from autism. Resse’s mother said, “They [pupils] do need to have discipline, but can't discipline a child with special needs because that is not going to work. It will make my son retaliate."

Mr. Smith defends the new rule and the school saying, “We take support for children with special education needs very seriously, and one of the reasons for our strict approach on behavior is to ensure we have calm classrooms that allow as many pupils as possible to take part in mainstream lessons with their peers. Even in these first few days we have children thriving in classes who previously couldn't cope with the noise and behavior they faced."