Pupils at Cowes Enterprise College on the Isle of Wight returned to school this term under a set of stricter rules that parents said left some children upset and distressed.
Parents and pupils described a series of new measures, including toilets locked between break and lunchtime, staggered ten-minute lunch slots for year groups, and pupils ordered to stand in single file on a painted line outside the building until staff allowed them in. Some parents said children were left standing in the rain for up to 15 minutes and arrived home in tears.
Parents told local and national media that only a small number of pupils with medical or special educational needs (SEN) are now being escorted to designated facilities after notifying a teacher, rather than using a visible pass. That change, they said, has led to long queues at break and lunch and left some pupils choosing not to drink during the day to avoid waiting for the lavatory. Some pupils reported being given only 10 minutes to order, collect and eat food when their year group was called to the canteen, with a few students allegedly told to discard meals if they did not finish in time.
Several parents said the school's catering options had been reduced, reporting that only tap water and a limited main meal — described by some as a "sausage roll" — were available on the first day back. One parent who spoke to the Daily Mail said their child, who has autism and ADHD, would be kept at home until the rules change.
Parents also said that previously issued toilet or medical passes for students with conditions such as bowel issues, autism or ADHD had been withdrawn. They described the new procedure — where a student must tell a teacher they cannot cope and wait for a staff escort — as embarrassing for vulnerable children. One mother said her daughter, who joined the school in February, had been unprepared for the changes and faced long queues for a small number of toilets in some year groups.
Several parents used emotive terms to describe the measures, with some comparing the arrival routine to "army training camp" or "Alcatraz." A local paper reported accounts of a staff member described by pupils as a "drill sergeant" directing the line. Parents said the measures were intended to curb behaviour by a small number of pupils, including alleged vaping and misuse of passes, but they argued the measures penalised the majority of students.
Cowes Enterprise College is an academy within the Ormiston Academies Trust. The trust and the school have not disputed that changes were introduced at the start of term. In a statement to the Daily Mail, a spokesperson for the academy said the school was "proud to be a high-performing, inclusive school where students are happy, well supported and achieve well," and that the new measures were introduced to "create an even calmer, safer environment that supports both well-being and academic achievement."
The spokesperson said many policies were introduced in response to feedback from parents, students and staff and that leaders were "listening carefully to feedback" and would make "sensible refinements" where needed. The academy noted it would work with the school community to support implementation. Cowes Enterprise College received a "Good" rating at its last Ofsted inspection.
Parents said they intend to raise concerns directly with the school, and at least one family has said they will keep a child at home until arrangements change. The changes and the reaction from families have highlighted tensions between school leaders seeking to tighten discipline and some parents and carers who say the new measures disproportionately affect children with additional needs.
School leaders have framed the changes as part of a wider drive to improve behaviour and safety, while parents and campaigners have urged clearer safeguards for vulnerable pupils. The academy has said it will consider feedback and make adjustments where appropriate as the term progresses.