School putting child in isolation because parents haven't paid lunch fees

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

Apologies for the DM link, and in case there's another thread on this (couldn't find one, but it's such a mumsnetty topic I can't believe no-one else has started one).

A school has threatened to put a child in isolation for their entire lunchbreak every day until the parents pay the £75 due for the term's school lunches (which are 1 week overdue).

Daily Mail article:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3713583/Superhead-claimed-Britain-s-education-broken-puts-pupils-detention-lunch-restricts-food-parents-failed-pay-school-meals.html

Link to a picture of the letter from the school:

twitter.com/RichardA/status/758941460741758982

WTF are the school playing at? In what possible circumstances is this OK?

I cannot find an ofsted report about them so they are very new. They will have to change their ways soon. Something like that can't be sustainable for long.

Poor child, it isn't their fault.
The school should be working with the parent to make sure they complete the necessary forms for fsm, and if the parent has a high enough income to easily afford to pay but isn't, then prosecution surely, not blame the poor child.

I read the school's blog. The school sounds absolutely sociopathic and cult-like.

I would say that is demanding money with menace and the parent should report this to the police

There do exist parents who expect not to pay, and for their child to be given the same food as those who are paying. The £2.50 a day covers a meal and also 2 snacks. Seems like a good deal?
i believe that that parent did not pay. But I don't believe the isolation was linked to the bad behaviour - that letter is generic. I also think the FSM policy is poor - people on FSM can't afford to pay upfront and then wait to be reimbursed.

The rest of the policies sound barking.

This school sounds awful. Nothing wrong with a healthy vegetarian lunch, but the cost of £2.50 a day is too high for something that's compulsory. I guess they don't want children who eat limited diets due to sensory or other issues in their school, either. And the behaviour policy is needlessly punitive.

"Two demerits = automatic detention. Demerits can be incurred for infractions such as turning around in class, calling out, failing to listen attentively, behaving badly outside of school, failing to bring correct equipment, failing to complete homework, or being late."

And their 'internal isolation' is from 7.30-5 - longer than most adults' working day.

There's expecting children and young people to behave in school, and then there's expecting little robots instead of children. Horrible.

Opened in Sept 2014. No Ofsted yet. PAN of 120. interesting to see how many pupils on roll.

Interesting:

www.learningspy.co.uk/featured/michaela-school-route-one-schooling/

Pinch of salt time.

Mother said child had only been at the school 2 weks, yet £75 equates to 30 school days worth of dinners....6 weeks. So not an unreasonable time to sanction.

Doesn't sound as though he is alone is not being paid for, and isolation in this case prob means sitting with the other bread and butter buddies, rather than with the hot meal/packed lunch eaters.

I guess mum is lucky they give him anything! I wonder who pays for that?

More from their recruitment pages:

"We believe in zero-tolerance. We do not make exceptions. When we say we have high standards, we mean it. If you think it is mean to give a detention when a pupils doesn’t have a pen, Michaela isn’t the school for you. We hold parents to account as well and insist that they support their children by supporting our rules. This creates a very orderly school where children are safe. It requires staff who are willing to make mountains out of molehills. You need to know how to act appalled over the little stuff."

"We do not believe in learning styles. We do not believe in personalisation or differentiation in the way that most schools do. We do not believe in target-setting or prioritising skills. If you believe in these things, Michaela isn’t the school for you."

I can't believe the school is in the Uk and funded by the tax payer!

It talks about encouraging kindness yet doesn't seem to show that towards their own pupils.

how up your own arsehole do you have to be as a teacher to refer to yourself as The Dragon Lady. silly bint!

I actually agree with the sitting at a table to eat a meal and children helping to serve and clean up. It is how my school ran. And it means children who did not know any table manners, soon learnt them.
I do not agree with making £12.50 a week compulsory. That is far too much money.

i know bakeoff, im finding it highly amusing tho that The Dragon Lady is obviously actually shit scared of speaking to parents, instead bullying the children.....Dragon Lady my eye, more like Chicken Shit Lady

Who's The Dragon Lady?

The school sounds fucking nuts. I can't believe it is legal for a state-funded school to insist that families pay for lunch.

I actually think it sounds good. Having worked in various primary schools, this would be a breath of fresh air I think.
Good behaviour, parents held to account, I like it.

I can only imagine it must appeal to teachers who dislike children and don't really see them as individuals.

I like a lot of it. But I suspect insisting children have a school dinner and pay for it, is probably illegal. It means that parents have to pay £12.50 a week for the child to go to school.

its what the 'person' running this school refers to herself as, its obviously a bit of self deprecating bantz as theres nothing Dragon like about bullying children

i think only the most crap of teachers would want to work here and think that somehow its fine to use food as punishment, especially for something that the CHILD cant control

Children who have chaotic home lives, often thrive in highly structured environments like this.

In the schools I've worked in, the children with chaotic home lives are the ones whose parents can't or won't buy them all the correct uniform/equipment, pay for lunches and trips, help with homework, etc. At this school, the child would be punished for that.

bizarrely, my idea of structure doesnt include withholding food, bullying and humiliation. i call that abuse, an abuse of power in this instance

it smacks of a business going down the shitter already to me tbh all this money upfront, no packed lunches so they get money, detention for not having a pen so they dont even supply stationary etc, disproportionate and abusive treatment of children for not having £75 a week late........whats wrong Dragon Bollocks......things not going so well