Schoolboy Suspended For Leading Mass Walkout Over Lack Of Homework

Schoolboy Suspended For Leading Mass Walkout Over Lack Of Homework
Mercury

Schoolboy Aaron Parfitt was so fed up with not getting any homework that he started a mutiny to raise concerns about teaching standards.

Unfortunately, his actions landed him in hot water – and he was banned from his classroom for two days.

The 14-year-old led 100 of his fellow pupils on a mass walkout at Bispham High School in Blackpool last Wednesday after raising his concerns about standards to the school's acting headteacher, his head of year, and the head of the maths department. He then complained to Blackpool Council and Ofsted.He said: "I failed my maths exam in school and I was really worried because I just wanted to make sure I was able to do the work properly.

"We've had loads of different teachers and we weren't getting enough homework so I decided to call the council and Ofsted to see if they would help me but they couldn't."

After his complaints fell on deaf ears, Aaron and a group of friends decided to walk out of their lessons.

He said that by the time the group got to the school's playing field, they noticed a large number of pupils had followed.

He said: "There must have been around 100 people with me in the end and everyone sent me messages afterwards saying well done for sticking up for my friends."

Despite his eagerness to learn, Aaron was told he was banned from lessons for two days.

His mum Janet, 52, said: "I'm absolutely fuming they've excluded him because he's doing the best he can to get a good education. He was only trying to stick up for himself and his mates and then he gets told to stay away from the school for two days."

In May last year, Bispham High School was placed under special measures by Ofsted inspectors who said standards were low and that there was too much 'mediocre teaching'.

A more recent report, conducted in September, said the school was making 'reasonable progress' - although acting headteacher Deborah Hanlon-Catlow said it was still a 'challenging' period.

She told the Blackpool Gazette: "This is undoubtedly a challenging time for the school. However, with support from Blackpool Council, we will continue to work to try to improve teaching standards, attendance, behaviour and punctuality.

"This will not happen overnight but we will continue to work with Ofsted, parents, staff and pupils towards gradual improvement.

"The school has a proactive policy in dealing with complaints from both parents and pupils. We are also passionate about ensuring that pupils and parents have a voice and are listened to."

Councillor Ivan Taylor, Blackpool Council's cabinet member for children's services, said: "The school is going through a transitional period. However, this is not an excuse for poor standards and we have given additional support to the school to try to help it to improve.

"The welfare and education of the pupils is our number one priority and we always make sure that complaints are thoroughly investigated."

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