School bans pupils from talking in corridors and headteacher claims it has HALVED bad behaviour
The headteacher at Croydon's Orchard Park High School says parents of pupils have warmly welcomed the strict new measures
A LONDON secondary school says it has halved bad behaviour by banning talking in corridors and forcing pupils to have lunch with teachers.
The headteacher at Orchard Park High School in Croydon claims the new rules that were introduced last year have transformed the school.
Ciara Warnock makes her students line up three times a day before school and after morning break and lunch, with chatting strictly prohibited.
If caught talking they are made to line up again in the playground until they get it right.
They must also stand up when staff enter the classroom and are sent home if they are not wearing their uniform properly.
At lunchtime pupils must sit with teachers to have topical discussions while they eat.
According to Ms Warnock, the no-nonsense scheme has halved the number of suspensions, detentions and exclusions.
She told Sun Online: “It was clear when I arrived that our students, like all children, needed strong boundaries.
“But If we put heavy demands on our pupils we do it because we care incredibly deeply about improving their life chances.
“This approach has led to a clear improvement in our GCSE results. That means more young people on the path to the best universities and top careers.
“Make no mistake, this is important. It will significantly alter their life trajectory.
Ms Warnock admitted that there was resistance when the rules were first introduced but said pupils and parents soon fell in line.
She added: "We do not claim to have reinvented the wheel. We have taken a modern approach to what is a tried and tested formula."
When asked if other schools could benefit from adopting her polices, Ms Warnock replied: "Yes, all schools could benefit from what we call the brilliant basics."
A mother of one of the school’s year 8 pupils, Clare Adams, said it is good the school are “not afraid to make controversial decisions”.
The 43-year-old said: “I strongly believe that consistency of approach is key to ensuring that change happens.
“The staff and students have created an ethos of traditional values at this school.
“There is a strong and determined leadership who are not afraid to make controversial decisions, which I think this school needed.
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“The daily lining up and walking in silence around the school has led to the school becoming a calm, ordered environment needed for successful learning. I am proud to be a parent of the school.”
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