Academy trust defends its use of “supervision room,” after photo prompts fierce debate

The "supervision" room at Kirk Balk Academy.

A multi-academy trust has defended its use of what it calls “supervision,” after a picture circulated on social media showing up to 20 high-sided desks, or “booths,” to which pupils are sent after breaking school rules, sometimes for a whole day.

The photo, as above, has been circulating for weeks, to aghast reaction from many, while others have defended it. Education Uncovered has spent time trying to establish that it is genuine, before receiving a response from the trust which confirms that it is.

The facility has been in use, seemingly for several years, at Kirk Balk Academy, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. It is run by the 23-school Northern Education Trust.

The trust has stressed how the school has a “good” rating from Ofsted and that the chain as a whole has good ratings. It says it uses “supervision” to reduce the numbers of children being suspended or excluded.