‘Excessive’ sanctions at Hackney school left children ‘demoralised, without clear improvement in behaviour’

Haggerston School. Image: Google

Parents and teachers have accused an academy of harming the mental health of students at a Hackney school by introducing excessively strict rules.

Haggerston School voluntarily transferred to the Community Schools Trust (CST) to become an academy in September 2023 despite having received ‘Good’ in its previous Ofsted rating.

Following the transfer, staff at Haggerston School went on strike over working conditions and more than 100 parents signed an open letter complaining about the schools excessive use of detentions and “hierarchical management”.

In the letter, parents said they felt “misled” by claims that Haggerston was distinct from other academy schools in the borough and that its behaviour policies had led to children being “demoralised, without clear improvement in behaviour”.

Fresh allegations have now been revealed by a Times Radio investigation, which spoke to three teachers – currently or formerly at the school – and a number of parents.

Parents allege that changes brought in by the Community Schools Trust  – including excessive detentions for minor disobedience – have caused a decline in the mental health of pupils, and staff to leave their jobs en-masse due to steep increases in workload.

Detention policies at the school include not being silent in line-up, having incorrect equipment and not following a set of core behaviours called SLANT (sit up, listen, ask and answer questions, nod your head and track the teacher).

SLANT (sit up, listen, ask and answer questions, nod your head and track the teacher) was a core behaviour management method proposed in 2010 by Doug Lemov’s guide, Teach Like a Champion 1.0.

However, in 2021, Lemov admitted that SLANT has been misunderstood with the policy being used “poorly” by those not thinking about “the why and how”.

As of 1 September this year, Haggerston School has approximately 1,007 pupils.

Internal data revealed in the investigation shows that in the four months from September 2024 to February 2025, two students were permanently excluded, 122 were suspended and nearly 900 were given internal suspensions, spent in exclusion rooms.

In the same period, the school gave 29,914 corrections – i.e. next-day detentions – 6,126 of which were for incorrect line-up behaviour, with 5,597 for incomplete or late homework.

Children with Special Education Needs (SEN) accounted for 10 per cent of corrections and exclusions and 20 per cent of suspensions, according to Times Radio, despite data from the previous year showing SEN students only made up 5 per cent of the school.

Teachers also explained seeing children in visible discomfort from not being allowed toilet breaks during lessons, with one describing two instances where students wet themselves as a result.

The investigation revealed an email sent from the academy’s leadership promoting discipline at the school, using a comparison with China.

A video of Chinese students doing a synchronised exercise routine was sent around to teachers by a member of the leadership team, in awe of the children’s discipline and encouraging teachers to reflect on how this could be incorporated into the Hackney school.

One teacher responded to the email by citing the high suicide rates amongst Chinese students linked to academic pressure.

Chief executive officer of the Community Schools Trust, Simon Elliott, said the academy sets “extremely high standards” when it comes to behaviour and learning.

He said: “We expect students to be well-behaved and ready to learn when they are in our classrooms. As a trust, we are the second best in the country for GCSE exam results for disadvantaged students.”

Mr Elliot said the majority of students under the Community Schools Trust’s care are from “poor backgrounds”, with families who “cannot afford” private tutors to help with exams.

He said: “That’s why we offer it for free. Despite serving some of the most deprived communities in the country, our students achieve among the best exam results. Good grades at GCSE are linked to better life outcomes: better careers, better financial outcomes, better mental health.

“We do not comment on matters regarding individual students or teachers. We encourage parents or previous employees with concerns to contact the school directly.”

A prospective parent who attended Haggerston’s open evening this month (October 2025) told the Citizen she will no longer be enrolling her child into the school and has complained to the headteacher.

She said: “I found it really interesting how they sold the school.

“The headteacher made a point of saying they are not ‘draconian’. We specifically asked staff how discipline works and they said it’s very different to other academies, with a warning always offered before a sanction.

“That does not tally with what we’ve heard. Results are not the be all and end all.

“Children are vulnerable, these are formative years for them and they need to be nurtured.

“Across Hackney children numbers are falling and primary schools are closing, that will follow into secondary schools. Now we don’t have anywhere to go.

“If academies continue to follow this approach, we will have to find a school out of the borough. There are some much better options in Islington.

“It’s a huge problem and academies can’t maintain this attitude – it’s not sustainable.”

Parents have become increasingly concerned about strict behaviour policies, sometimes called zero tolerance, which are used in a significant number of academy schools.

Last year Jim Gamble, the independent child safeguarding commissioner for Hackney, launched a local child safeguarding practice review into Mossbourne Victoria Park academy (MVPA) following parents’ concerns.

These reviews are normally reserved for serious individual cases of child abuse or neglect.

The investigation was launched after more than 200 parents, pupils, former teachers, and local GPs and child psychologists came forward with evidence in relation to this school and another in the trust, Mossbourne Community Academy.

The conclusion of the review is yet to be made public.