‘We must stop mollycoddling kids’

Head teacher Alun Ebenezer is no stranger to headlines about his hard-line approach to discipline.

Dubbed by one newspaper as the “head from hell”, the latest controversy has focused on his decision to introduce detentions on Saturdays.

But as the recently appointed head of 1,300-pupil Caldicot School in Monmouthshire, which has been plagued by issues in recent years including teachers striking over violence in classrooms, Mr Ebenezer said he was unapologetic about a focus on “strict discipline and firm boundaries”.

He was also critical of what he called a culture of “hiding behind words like ‘wellbeing'” and “mollycoddling” children.

Mr Ebenezer told BBC News that two or three families had taken their children out of the school as they felt that his policies were too strict.

He said most parents had been supportive, but about 20 to 30 had objected to the new behaviour policy he introduced in September.

The school asks parents to come into lessons and sit next to their child if they misbehave in class.

“I can say to you that we’ve never had to ask the same parent in twice – it’s effective,” said Mr Ebenezer.

The school also carries out detentions – meaning pupils being kept in school after-hours as a punishment – either on the same day or on a Saturday.

“We operate a same-day detention policy, which we think works,” he said.

“Apparently in Wales it’s illegal, because we have to give parents 24 hours’ notice so that they know where their children are.”

Schools are entitled to hold Saturday detentions, except on weekends immediately before and after half-term holidays.

But legislation requires parents to be given at least 24 hours’ notice in writing of any detention that will take place outside school sessions if the pupil is at a school in Wales, a requirement which was repealed in England in 2011.

“The reason we’ve done [same-day detentions] is because if I’m badly behaved today, I want to be sorted out today,” said Mr Ebenezer.

Mr Ebenezer was asked to take over at the school after a difficult period which saw teachers striking over “violent and abusive behaviour” by pupils.

“My firm belief is what all young people need is strict discipline and firm boundaries,” said Mr Ebenezer.

Each morning, senior staff greet pupils and check that coats are off, ties are on and skirts are the right length.

“I do think uniform’s important,” Mr Ebenezer said.

“I want [pupils] to give the right impression.”

He has also introduced a “solid front door” policy for wellbeing areas, meaning that pupils must be referred there by staff.

“We understand that there are some pupils in this school who need proper wellbeing help,” he said.

“But let those young people get the help they need, not be at the back of the queue from a hundred people who don’t want to be in physics.”

A recent report by education inspectors Estyn found behaviour at the school had improved but said it was still in need of “significant improvement”.

It said there was work to do on attendance, safeguarding and developing pupils’ skills.

One of the senior team, Hayley Moseley, is in her 15th year at Caldicot School and said she had seen “lots of changes, lots of different styles of management”.

She said there had been difficulties, but felt the culture in the school was starting to change and that pupils seemed “happier”.

Pupil Lilly-Belle, 12, was told off in her first week at the school because she was wearing her sister’s old skirts which were not the right length.

She said the approach could be “a bit strict sometimes” but added: “It’s better to be strict than not strict at all.”

Caden, 12, said he had been pulled up for an untucked shirt but said he was comfortable with the rules: “I’m quite happy with them and they’re good.”

Parent Katherine, who has two sons at the school, said the change in approach was initially a shock.

“It was a bit military – some people called it draconian,” she said.

“But sometimes you need that shock to kind of get everybody singing from the same hymn sheet.”

Mr Ebenezer said he wanted to make Caldicot School one of the top 20 in Wales.

“It’s about doing the right thing,” he said.

He said his focus was on “high standards of uniform and appearance, punctuality, attendance, behaviour, attitude” and said prevailing approaches to behaviour were misguided.

“It’s definitely too soft. I think people confuse strict with nasty,” he said.

“Strict is no nonsense – you do this, this happens. No means no, it’s not nasty.

“I think at the moment we are indulging and we are hiding behind words like wellbeing and safe spaces and it’s making things unsafe and is damaging people’s wellbeing.”

Mr Ebenezer said he and his staff needed to be “allowed to do what we need to do and not be inhibited by ridiculous bureaucracy”.

“We will be safest, happiest and flourish most when we bring back firm discipline, strict boundaries and we can get on with it,” he added.

The Welsh government said: “Schools should be safe spaces for learners and staff and all education settings in Wales have a legal duty to provide a safe learning environment. It is up to schools to set their own detention policies.

“We are working with partners to develop proposals to improve behaviour, including a National Behaviour Summit which is planned for the spring.”