A senior staff member from the Regent's Park zoo sent a strongly worded email to head teacher Kerry Targett, listing four incidents involving pupils from the school and demanding that she speak to staff to get their "perspective" on the visit.
Unsupervised students were seen by staff spitting on birds within the Snowdon Aviary during their educational visit on July 13, with the zoo slamming their "completely unacceptable behaviour".
One pupil had to be treated in hospital for a spinal injury after he was pushed into a glass panel in a door by a schoolmate.
Having struck his head, he was knocked unconscious for several minutes.
In two other incidents, at least two students were asked to leave educational classes and one session was cut short because of "behavioural issues".
Ahhhh, Croydon. What a place!
This is not the first time that concerns have been raised about the behaviour of pupils at the school.
In May, Mrs Targett, who is in her first full year at the Church of England school in Warrington Road, confirmed she had called the police on her pupils during their last day of school in order to force them to "go home and study".
It's really no surprise, is it?
Mrs Targett has the look of a Common Purpose adherent. I wonder if she follows their agenda for turning children into SJWs?
ReplyDeleteThe comments below are worth saving. Somebody should tell OFSTED and Justine Greening. Also Lambeth Palace, since one allegation is of mis-use of church money.
ReplyDelete(1)
"I taught at St. Andrew's too for many years and never thought I'd leave as the students were amazing - so well-behaved and a brilliant attitude to learning. This all went in September this year when Kerry Targett scrapped a finely-tuned and effective behaviour system without consultation. This has resulted in the students saying the current system to be "a joke", not attending any detentions, scrawling abusive graffiti around the school about the headteacher on a daily basis, and generally being in charge of the school. I overheard the Headteacher trying to get a pupil who was truanting to come to her and him ignoring her. He eventually listened to the caretaker and went with him - but when a Head has no authority because of the system she has created and the resentment she has bred - then there is no hope for behaviour to be good and the school becomes a dangerous place. 30 teachers left this July - others have left this year because of the new head's incompetence and failure to acknowledge what she has created. The amount of Diocesan money she spent on a new reception and office for herself is appalling - especially as the classrooms remain tatty and untouched by the school funds. I hope the Governers and the LA don't continue to be blindsided by her."
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"I taught at St. Andrew's for a long time, including this year, and I must say I am sadly not surprised. St. Andrew's doesn't absolutely need to become an academy--that is far from a magic cure for anything, really--it simply needs strong leadership which can actually recognise and admit when there are problems...and deal with them firmly and effectively. We had that sort of leadership under our former head teacher, David Matthews. While of course things weren't perfect, he and his senior management team *listened to* and supported the teaching staff to an extent that while we did occasionally have examples of poor behaviour--as all schools do--those were dealt with swiftly and sternly, and the worst actors were disabused of the notion that their behaviour would be condoned. And the school's Christian ethos was emphasised in such a way that our students had something to live up to.
Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent this year that the idea that strong discipline would lead to good behaviour and good learning was not going to be a priority. And the concerns of staff, when expressed, were largely met with patronising and minimising of the extent of the problem (as is evident from the comments of the head teacher here, and in the prior incident which made the news). The school's previous discipline system, which actually worked quite well for the most part, was scrapped without consulting staff while that put in its place was largely toothless, as quickly became obvious to the students. And other changes occurred in the tutor group structure (some of which actually started last year) so that a system that once encouraged student leadership in dealing with low-level behaviour incidents and modelling good and responsible behaviour for the younger students was basically destroyed. I hate to lay all the problems at the feet of the head teacher, but the fact is that the buck stops there. When someone new in charge comes in, they of course will want to make changes. However, it seems that analysing the situation first to see what parts of the previous system worked well--and improving them rather than scrapping them wholesale--and taking advantage of traditions that functioned well and provided the school with a sense of continuity and responsibility--and pride--would have been a more sensible choice. Also seeking out and listening to the concerns of your frontline staff, and acting upon them (as generally and happily was the system earlier) rather than pooh-poohing them, would I think lead to better behaviour and in turn better results--and you wouldn't get the mass exodus of teaching staff that has occurred at St. Andrew's this year, which is a bit of a scandal in itself."
...........
Going by what happened earlier, Kerry Targett will focus on getting the comments removed.
http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/croydon-school-pulled-pupils-class-told-delete/story-29323795-detail/story.html
BTW, a caretaker is not a member of teaching staff and is not to be used as a 'minder'. It is a damning failure of managment if they have used unqualified, uninsured, unprotected facilities staff to do what is in no way their job.
In May, Mrs Targett, who is in her first full year at the Church of England school in Warrington Road, confirmed she had called the police on her pupils during their last day of school in order to force them to "go home and study".
ReplyDeleteHow times have changed. Once upon a time the police got called to make delinquants go to school and study.
"Mrs Targett has the look of a Common Purpose adherent."
ReplyDeleteIndeed so. And WoaR's research proves looks don't lie...
"The comments below are worth saving. Somebody should tell OFSTED and Justine Greening."
Quite!
"Going by what happened earlier, Kerry Targett will focus on getting the comments removed. "
From that link:
'A source told the Advertiser the tweets were spotted by the school's social media coordinator...'
They have a WHAT?!?
Translation: 'Kerry Targett was googling herself and she suddenly found...'
ReplyDeleteHeh! Very likely...
ReplyDelete