School in Middlesbrough excludes 41% of pupils

[CruCru]

I’ve just read this thing in the Guardian about a school that has the highest number of exclusions in the UK. Have you seen

I find it hard to imagine a school where the general population is so mouthy that nearly half the kids need to be suspended

I've done supply in two.

In one, after I had left, the Ofsted inspectors had food thrown at them.

user1471450935

Most of the kids who are rebelling against uniforms and rules like that, have parents who went to the same school and sadly had a terrible time. Either they where badly bullied, often by sadist teachers, our PE teachers where evil or where abandoned as thick and unteachable.

My friend is adamant that the bullies are the school we went to were sadists, that they had it in for him, and that it was easier to give up on him than try to teach him as he was 'spirited'. (in his words and his mother's.

The truth is that anyone that went to school with him knows that his detentions and subsequent exclusions where all down to him.

Outwood is renowned for being strict, they have a very big behaviour policy. They pretty much have zero tolerance, asked once and once only.

Outwood Ormesby is within a pretty deprived area and historically Middlesbrough secondary schools have been under-performing for many many years. This is starting to change.

Outwood have turned 2 Middlesbrough schools around, as a pp said pass rates of sub 35% were the norm, however their method, as highlighted, is not without criticism. Many children thrive in the environment, others don't. The reports that I have heard from parents is that their children are happy and doing well and the home/school communication is good.

As for the school uniform, despite it being all logo'd, it isn't actually that expensive, it is certainly not hugely more than my supermarket uniform. They also get some free uniform in Yr7.

They are very clear with their expectations and they make no bones about it.

Saying that, I don't and wouldn't send my children to an Outwood School. I was left feeling very uncomfortable following the Head's talk at the Open Evening.

Different countries have different cultures but in the UK, adhering to the school uniform code, delineates a good school. Rightly or wrongly, like it or not, that is the way it is in England.

If a child can't cope with wearing black shoes (or whatever), and their parents cant support the school in enforcing those rules, then what hope does the school have to enforce any rules with children.

Most parents I know when evaluating a school will factor into their judgement whether or not the pupils are wearing the school uniform properly. Its a function of good behaviour. In fact I would email the school and complain if I saw a child at my DC's school wearing the uniform incorrectly, it degrades the schools reputation.

We do not want to send our children schools filled with feral pupils wearing whatever they want and obeying (or not) whatever rules they want. I think that would have been moving house time for me.

If schools want to ditch a uniform code then fine but dont expect middle class parents to ever send their children there.

Great for this trust of schools, not so great for other local (maintained) schools that then pick up the same children.

If you are referring specifically to Middlesbrough all the secondary schools are Academies in some form or another.

I don't really want to make this about uniforms, but my understanding is that there is some school of thought (no pun attended) that if pupils are allowed to get away with minor uniform rule breaking then they are less likely to push against rules elsewhere. If the uniform is strictly monitored they will find somewhere else to 'rebel'

I wouldn't say outside of school they look any smarter than any of the other schools in the area.

HomeForever
You make so much sense.

I personally wouldn't want to work at an Outwood school, but they've done great things in challenging decades of underachievment in some difficult areas.

Sometimes with education too many people (staff and parents) decide that because they don't like a certain method that the method must be useless and have no impact etc. Sometimes taking a step back is helpful.

Do I think lots of exclusions are good? No. Do I think that their consistency as a school means that in a few years (once they've got a y7-11 cohort that's from the new school, not the failing one before) that exclusions will go down? Yes. Because it's clear and consistent.
It's 5 years from takeover/change to have a full school done the new way.

On uniform, I agree ita an easy thing to push, but it only becomes a useful minor rebellion if staff check it. The difference between my school and an Outwood one prior to takeover is that 99% of the time if I ask a child to tuck their shirt in, sort their tie out etc then they do it and we all move on very quickly no interruptions etc (Or I see boys arriving to class tucking their shirt in because they know I'll ask them to). At a school like an Outwood predecessor, you'd ask a child to tuck their shirt in and you'd (often) get a lengthy tirade about 'fuckssake what IS your problem! Nah. I wouldn't dare. I don't think so. Well I'm not coming in then so you can fuck off!' and the child walks off truanting.
Some MNnetters and the Guardian would say that exclusion was for uniform. I would say it's for complete defiance, truanting and verbal abuse.

If schools want to ditch a uniform code then fine but dont expect middle class parents to ever send their children there.

Fortesmere seems to do OK.

Some MNnetters and the Guardian would say that exclusion was for uniform. I would say it's for complete defiance, truanting and verbal abuse.

this ^ in a nut shell

Outwood pretty much is that strict on the uniform, but the policy is well known and the pupils know exactly what is expected. I read about one parent complaining as her child got in trouble for wearing trainers for school - they were well aware of the policy, yet still decided that morning to put them on instead of their shoes. If a pupil decides to do or wear something that is not according to policy they know the consequences of that. It is still a long way from exclusion though.

The children who I know who are doing well are the ones that have a supportive home environment, that is wanting the children to do their best at school, even if they aren't necessarily high achievers.

Homeforever

No not Middlesborough but other areas of the country where LA maintained schools are prevalent and preferred but Outwood gave one school.

*have

I know the area well. I'm not surprised. Sounds like they're trying to change the culture within the school and raise standards

Sorry thought thread had died.
To answer a couple of points,
MaisyPops
We do understand completely as parents, your point about sanctions. We only really rang for two reasons, he got a detention, usually they email to say so and you agree you know. The school didn't tell us, Ds told us, when asked why he was late home. Second we wanted to be sure it was for eating, it had never been before, so feared he was covering over a worse offence. Also in past the kids got a month to get used to changes, so got strict warnings then it started, unless they did it constantly, suddenly we had new rules and zero tolerance. Also the school failed to communicate any rule changes to parents, and implemented them mid term
If school tell us we will always back them up, would never tell Ds we ask the question. Teacher always right.
BoneyBack Jefferson
Believe me we had sadist teachers, 2 PE teachers loved the winter, rugby in snow and sub zero temperatures, with only a shirt and shorts. Or Mr Higgins favourite ditch jumping. we had a lovely lad, had a SEN and could not swim because of it, was official excused. But Mr Higgins made him change and come out ever bloody session, then when he refused to jump, actually pushed him into the water, we used to all jump in to rescue him Mr Higgins thought it was hilarious, f8cking t8at more like. Got his come up penance in year 5, when we throw him into the frozen ditch on our last lesson with him.
Also out physic teacher used to patrol classroom with a metal ruler and board compass, if she disapproved of you or someone on your table, you either got the ruler across the back of your hand or on your ear, or the compass stuck in your back or arm.
I had the skin broken more then once. Two teachers left due to complaints of physical attacks, on students. Christ the early eighties where interesting. Maths and Chemistry teachers regularly throw board rubbers at the back wall and even the bloody board compasses.
Though according to my dad, we had it easy if I complained, our teachers, compared to his SM ones, had gone bloody soft.
I think 3/4 of my teachers would have been banned from teaching in todays schools.
If you hated school, and got nothing from it, why would you tell your kids that school was important.
Please note white WC boys and girls, statistically are the worst two performing groups in education, and people wonder why, sadly it these kids who have parents who school was shit/hard/impossible or you Twagged, ie never went
Actually it's those kids I feel sorry for, they have no chance. I came from FSM WC estate backgrounds, but my parents, as did my wife's, believed education would get us out of it. We totally agree and completely back the school.
Thankfully the MAT, are introducing new codes and have been great at involving both pupils and parents in drawing them up. Surely that's better then expulsions and not telling parents
Sorry I am only a parent.

I read about one parent complaining as her child got in trouble for wearing trainers for school - they were well aware of the policy, yet still decided that morning to put them on instead of their shoes.

Now, why would a parent put a child into trainers instead of their school shoes? I've done it and it was because either the school shoes were still soaking from getting drenched the day before/we suddenly realised the kids had holes in their shoes. Now I have kids in a primary school in a leafy MC area so the school sends home the odd letter reminding the parents to put the kids in uniform but there's no direct impact on the kid but I would not be impressed if a school would exclude for that reason.

Kids destroy shoes and their feet grow quickly. I don't need to worry about the cost of shoes but I still don't have lots of alternative shoes for the kids to wear if there's an issue midweek and I can't get to the shops. A kid will learn better in a pair of trainers than in wet school shoes or school shoes with holes in them.

The school website says that if you pitch up in trainers then you’ll be given a pair of (hygienically sprayed like bowling shoes) school shoes to wear instead. It’s when the kids refuse to wear those that the exclusion kicks in.

count Senior school child who put the shoes on himself. No indication that they were the only shoes available. The pupil decided to put them on.

For all I wouldn't want to send my children to an Outwood school they do have a very well defined behaviour policy which only works if it is strictly adhered to. This particular Outwood school has a long history of poor standards across the board, as much as I don't agree with their methods they have pulled the schools up. But the pupils know the score, the parents know the score, and they are fully aware of the consequence.

My dd (ASD) has all manner of issues with uniform. Why are we insisting children wear blazers and ties? She has worn leggings and trainers before as her sensory overload meant it was that or don't go to school.

I'm in a group for parents of ASD girls, and it currently full of stories of distressed girls starting secondary school and not coping with the uniform. And these academies do not bend the rules for these situations.

For goodness sake being a teenager is hard enough, why make it harder?