a day ago
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.
