Parent hits out at new behaviour policies of free school, being taken over by “traditionalist” MAT

The new home for Route 39 free school during its construction last summer

The adoptive mother of a child at a free school which has been taken over by a multi-academy trust has complained of a dramatic change in its behaviour policies, with pupils now allegedly repeatedly put in “isolation” for what she says are minor offences.

Jane Green* says she is taking her 13-year-old son, who has ADHD, out of the Route 39 free school – to be known from September as Atlantic College – after changes instigated by the multi-academy trust now running it left him feeling “like he did not want to go to school any more”.

Green says her son has been placed in isolation – away from other pupils, with a staff member supervising – eight times since the Launceston multi-academy trust sent a senior manager to run the school in February, although such interventions do not have to be documented and she said she had not had any confirmation from its management.

She said her son had recently been “terrified” about further punishment after being disciplined for talking in class.