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ITV News
4 days ago
- Politics
- ITV News
Strict behaviour policy blamed for 'exodus of 500 pupils' from Ark Alexandra Academy in Hastings
A Sussex school's strict behaviour policy – which includes a total ban on mobile phones and detention targets for staff – is leading to 'exodus of pupils' and 'discriminating against special needs children', parents and politicians have claimed. An ITV News Meridian investigation has discovered that 472 children have left Ark Alexandra Academy in Hastings over the past three school years before the scheduled end of their secondary education. The data, obtained via a Freedom of Information Request, shows that 28% of the children leaving the school prematurely were recorded as having Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND). The Ark Schools Trust told us they have 'high aspirations for students' and 'work hard to support those with additional education needs'. Labour MP Helena Dollimore, who has raised her concerns about the school in Parliament, described the numbers leaving as an 'exodus' and urged Ark to 'acknowledge the scale of the problem' and 'work with the community rather than against it'. The Hastings & Rye MP told ITV News Meridian: 'Everybody agrees we need strict discipline in our schools but the way this is being implemented is causing a lot of issues and ultimately leading to children falling out of the education system.' Laura Wallis removed her son from the school less than a fortnight after he started Year 7 in September 2024. She claims he was discriminated against because of his ADHD and autism – and was effectively forced to leave. 'Within two weeks of being there he'd racked up nearly four hours worth of detentions. He wasn't walking close enough to the corridor wall – that was a detention. Spatial awareness is one of the things he really struggles with. 'There was no support for both his physical needs and his special educational needs. Their no-nonsense policy pushes children out of the education system.' The figures show that 39% of the children removed from Ark Alexandra are initially home schooled, rather than transferred directly to another school. Laura Wallis's son lost 120 days of classroom education before being accepted into another school, where she says he is 'thriving'. Staff whistleblowers have told ITV News Meridian that the school has a target that each staff member should issue 25 detentions per week. One teacher said while student behaviour had improved since the new policy was introduced, staff and student wellbeing has been impacted as a result. Helena Dollimore, Labour MP for Hastings & Rye, says she's extremely concerned Nigel Woodcock said he removed his daughter from the school in recent months, after almost three years at Ark Alexandra, because of the 'immense affect on her mental wellbeing". 'I wouldn't even explain it as being a prison. The kids aren't allowed to laugh in the hallways, they're not even allowed to sit with their friends at lunchtime except on a Friday", he added. Ark Schools declined our repeated requests for an interview. Instead the trust issued a statement, in which a spokesperson said: 'Ark Alexandra has improved rapidly over the past 18 months: suspensions have fallen significantly, attendance has improved, and students are making good progress in all year groups. 'We have high aspirations for our students and work hard to support those with additional education needs. Everything we do is focused on providing a great education for our children and seeing them thrive.' Justin Wynne, District Secretary at the National Education Union, does not support detention targets In response to the criticism of the detention targets, the Ark Schools spokesperson added: 'We monitor behaviour points to ensure the school's behaviour policy is implemented fairly and consistently. 'Staff are encouraged to award four times more rewards for positive behaviour – with the focus on catching students behaving well, rather than catching them out. This has helped us to create a culture of warmth and high standards.' Academies are state schools not controlled by the local authority but by an academy trust, funded directly by the Department for Education. The government is currently making a series of changes to the rules that academy trusts have to follow, to standardise curriculum, staff pay, conditions and recruitment.


The Guardian
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Call for British Museum to take Bayeux tapestry to ‘1066 country'
The MP for Hastings and Rye has called on the British Museum to let the Bayeux tapestry spend time in '1066 country' when it comes to the UK, and to ensure the region reaps the benefits of the 'once-in-a-generation exhibition'. The tapestry will return to the UK for the first time in more than 900 years as part of a landmark loan agreement announced by the prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron. The 70-metre embroidered cloth, which depicts the 1066 Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings, will go on display at the British Museum from September next year. The Labour MP Helena Dollimore said it would be a 'great shame' if 1066 country – the area named after the battle – was locked out of 'this national moment'. 'Obviously, the practicalities and logistics would need to be looked at by experts, but our area is such an integral part of this tapestry that we must be included,' she said. In a letter to the British Museum chair, George Osborne, co-signed by the TV historian Dan Snow, Dollimore urged the museum to consult with French experts and curators to explore the viability of local English Heritage plans to take the tapestry to the south coast. She also called on the museum to ensure every local child had the opportunity to visit the exhibition by reserving free tickets and helping with the cost of transport to London; reserve at least 1,066 tickets to the exhibition for people from Hastings and the surrounding area, and support efforts to promote the region to exhibition visitors. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'Few works of art are as central to our island's story as the Bayeux tapestry, which quite literally wove Hastings into the fabric of our national history,' the letter says. 'Although Hastings and the rest of 1066 Country has often been at the centre of historical events, it has not always felt the benefits of it. The Sutton Trust recently found that Hastings and Rye ranks among the bottom 10 areas in the country for social mobility. 63% of young people leave school without the basic qualifications in maths and English GCSE. Like many coastal communities, it has been left behind for too long. 'Why not return this iconic piece of our heritage to the very ground where it all began in 1066? Whilst we acknowledge that it is for experts to decide what is feasible, the Hastings area must play its rightful part in this national moment.' Dollimore said there was a huge opportunity to bring tourists to the region. 'We've got Hastings Castle, We've got Battle Abbey, we've got Pevensey Castle over in Eastbourne, the 1066 walk. Other parts of the country make a big thing of their history. There's loads of signage, there's exhibitions. So there really is more we can do now that the nation's attention is going to be turned to the tapestry.' Sarah Broadbent, the chair of the 1066 Country tourism organisation, said she was confident the loan would spark people's curiosity about the events depicted and the places where they happened. 'There are few dates as memorable, the Norman conquest was such a significant turning point in English history and we're very proud to call ourselves 1066 Country,' she said. 'We're not only rich in history but also in landscape, in heritage and in culture. We might be tucked away in the corner of the south-east but we pack a punch well above our weight in terms of the visitor experience … this is our chance to showcase everything we have to offer.'
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opening date for 'major' new road revealed
The opening date for a new major road has been confirmed. The Queensway Gateway Road, which will connect the A21 Sedlescombe Road North and Queensway in Hastings, was due to be completed in 2016. However, a judicial review of the planning approval was granted following a resident-led campaign in 2015. In April, Helena Dollimore, MP for Hastings and Rye, said the roadworks had "gone on for too long" and started a petition against East Sussex County Council. The council has now revealed that the road is expected to open on August 31. Councillor Keith Glazier, leader of East Sussex County Council, said: 'This extremely important project will make a real difference to traffic flow and make it quicker and easier to travel between Hastings and Bexhill. 'We appreciate that work on this major project has caused disruption to road users and apologise for any delays, but we hope they will soon be reaping the significant benefits the new road will bring.' The project includes the permanent closure of Junction Road and the creation of a public right of way and cycle path, as well as major improvements to the A21 Sedlescombe Road North, with the installation of new traffic signals. Read more: One person taken to hospital after three vehicle crash near Gatwick Lorry crashes into bridge causing train delays Flat shut down due to antisocial behaviour and drugs 'blighting community' A significant amount of work has been completed on site, the council said, including the relocation of a water main by Southern Water and the removal of 3,000 cubic metres of earth from an embankment – the equivalent to about eight standard swimming pools. Contractors also carried out remedial work along Whitworth Road and installed new drainage and gullies as well as a new traffic island and signals. A period of monitoring will follow the opening of the road to ensure traffic is flowing smoothly.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Opening date for 'major' new road announced
The opening date of a "major" new road in East Sussex has been confirmed by the county council. The Queensway Gateway Road, which will connect the A21 Sedlescombe Road North and Queensway in Hastings, is due to open on 31 August. It was originally due to be completed in 2016, but the final section of the road was delayed by an unsuccessful judicial review. Keith Glazier, the council's leader, said: "We appreciate that work on this major project has caused disruption to road users and apologise for any delays, but we hope they will soon be reaping the significant benefits the new road will bring." Helena Dollimore, the MP for Hastings and Rye, told the House of Commons in December that local residents called the project the "road to nowhere" because "it has been left unfinished for over a decade". The local authority said at the time that work on site had been delayed "due to significant remedial works" and a burst water main. The road is part of an East Sussex County Council project to improve traffic flow and transport links between Bexhill and Hastings. The project includes the permanent closure of Junction Road and the creation of a public right of way and cycle path. Major improvements to the A21 Sedlescombe Road North, which include the installation of new traffic signals, are also part of the project. A period of monitoring will follow the opening of the road to ensure traffic is flowing smoothly. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Major highway improvement scheme nearing completion 'Chaos' concern as traffic lights return to A21 Delayed road costs businesses millions, MP says East Sussex County Council


BBC News
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
New 'major' Hastings road to open in August after years of delays
The opening date of a "major" new road in East Sussex has been confirmed by the county Queensway Gateway Road, which will connect the A21 Sedlescombe Road North and Queensway in Hastings, is due to open on 31 was originally due to be completed in 2016, but the final section of the road was delayed by an unsuccessful judicial Glazier, the council's leader, said: "We appreciate that work on this major project has caused disruption to road users and apologise for any delays, but we hope they will soon be reaping the significant benefits the new road will bring." Helena Dollimore, the MP for Hastings and Rye, told the House of Commons in December that local residents called the project the "road to nowhere" because "it has been left unfinished for over a decade".The local authority said at the time that work on site had been delayed "due to significant remedial works" and a burst water road is part of an East Sussex County Council project to improve traffic flow and transport links between Bexhill and project includes the permanent closure of Junction Road and the creation of a public right of way and cycle improvements to the A21 Sedlescombe Road North, which include the installation of new traffic signals, are also part of the project.A period of monitoring will follow the opening of the road to ensure traffic is flowing smoothly.