Ninestiles Secondary School on Hartfield Cresent in Acocks Green has announced it intends to ban students from talking in corridors between lessons, threatening detention to children who break the rule.
In a letter to parents, students would be expected to move around the building in silence when they return after the half-term holidays on Monday 5th November.
“We know that behaviour is already of a high standard but we want and expect more from our learners, and so from Monday 5th November students will move around the building in silence during change over times,” the letter read.
“This will ensure students arrive calmly and ready to learn and staff can give out any information they need to swiftly and easily.”
The school said that “all student movement including to and from assembly, at lesson changeover and towards communal areas at break and lunch” would be carried out in silence, but that pupils would be able to speak to each other in designated areas at break and lunch times.
“The sanction for breaking the silent corridor rule will initially be a 20-minute detention; any repeated failure to follow the school policy will result in an appropriate escalation of sanctions,” the letter said.
Jenny Kearns, who’s son attends the school, has launched an online petition against the implementation of the new rules. She, said: “My concerns stretch over many levels my son year 9 is in the start of his exam years and needs a good strong environment to learn and grow in, my children were many years ago watching domestic violence in my relationship the only escape they got from that before I got help was school learning chatting with friends socialising there are many out there still in those positions, to be in fear of talking creates mental health and confidence issues I’m worried this move will damage our children.”
In a joint statement, acting co-headteachers Alex Hughes and Andrea Stephens, said: “Ninestiles is committed to the highest standards of behaviour and we know that students arriving to lessons ready to learn can be further supported by doing so in silence at certain points in the day,” they said.
“This is already an expectation for arrival at exams and during fire drills and, as such, is simply an extension of that code of behaviour. We will review this change at the end of Term 2 and the views of our students, parents and carers will be welcomed as part of that process.”
