Tony Arthur, head of Newburgh primary school, Warwick, said: “It is painful to say anything positive about Chris Woodhead or William Hague when most teachers hold them in such contempt. But they have raised a serious issue in terms of heads having the right to remove disruptive, violent and troublesome pupils.”
Alan Robertshaw, head of Foulstone secondary school in Darfield, Barnsley, south Yorkshire, said: “I hate to agree with either Chris Woodhead or William Hague, but what they were saying on discipline and exclusion struck a chord. I don’t want unbridled freedom, but the present regulations are loaded in favour of the disruptive child and this is unfair to the disrupted community.”
Sarah Bourn, head of Christ Church Bentinck Church of England primary school, ondon, said: “I do agree that headteachers should have the final say when it comes to exclusion and discipline. I was actually kicked by a Year 1 pupil today and such instances are, sadly, not unusual. This child needs special support, but it is hard when social inclusion is on everyone’s agenda. There has got to be a limit on the kind of behaviour you are willing to accept.”
Ken Biggs, head, Chew Valley comprehensive school, Bristol, said: “I am certainly in sympathy with William Hague’s suggestion that schools should have more delegation and say over discipline in their schools. However, schools don’t just want the responsibility, we need the resources to do our jobs too and at the moment far too many schools are desperately underfunded.”
Amanda Kelly