Overview

• In a letter to families, principal Rachel Kitley said the school is making sensible adjustments, including a longer lunchtime, more toilets open at peak times, additional exit doors and a pilot outdoor locker scheme.
• Parents and pupils had criticized new routines introduced at the start of term as harsh, citing anxiety, long queues, reduced food choices and tightly controlled movements.
• Rules cited by students include locked toilets during lessons with escorted access, silent line-ups on painted marks, corridor music to manage transitions, and limits on running, football and group sizes.
• A student-launched petition accuses the approach of creating an atmosphere of intimidation, and local MP Richard Quigley said he is not convinced the guidelines support learning.
• Ormiston Academies Trust defended the measures as designed to create a calmer, safer environment and said the school is listening to feedback and refining policies where sensible; one parent’s claim of a Year 7 child wetting themselves remains an allegation reported to the paper.