Exhausted children are disrupting lessons so much a headteacher has cancelled all after school clubs to make sure they get a good night’s sleep.
The extra-curricular activities at Murrayfield Primary School, in Ipswich, will not run for two weeks after teachers got to breaking point with children’s behaviour. The end of school disco has also been cancelled as part of the changes.
Headteacher Jane Taylor described to parents in a letter how staff were “increasingly frustrated” by the level of disruption caused by pupils, particularly boys.
Children are coming to the school off Nacton Road “irritable” and in the “wrong frame of mind” to work because they are tired, Mrs Taylor wrote in the letter.
Some parents are angry about the decision to stop the sessions, which include sport, a book club and art and craft activities, arguing the majority has been penalised because of a minority. The school will only bring back the clubs if there is a “significant improvement” in behaviour in pupils’ respect for each other and teachers.
Mrs Taylor said in a statement released yesterday: “The behaviour of pupils in school is paramount to their learning and safety. We have a clear behaviour policy which we are implementing.
“Clubs during the school lunch break continue to run, as does the breakfast club before school, however, we are finding a significant number of children are coming to school feeling tired and I feel that keeping children in school beyond 3.30pm is not helping the situation.
“We are working with parents to help them ensure that children are properly rested and hopefully after this two week suspension of clubs, we will be able to reinstate them again. It is our intention to provide an end of term treat for those pupils who have displayed outstanding behaviour and attendance throughout the term.”
One parent who wished to remain anonymous criticised the school for taking the action.
“It should have been handled completely differently, staff should stand up to their parents of the children who are the problem and tell them so it doesn’t affect all of us,” she said.
“We all know who the children are, they’re the same ones all the time, it’s not fair that the whole school is punished for this.”
The letter was published last Thursday, with after school clubs resuming on June 29 if behaviour improves.
If you have an education story call Matt Hunter on 01473 324802 or send him an email
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