Pupils 'told to stay at home' - disciplinary hearing told
Students were being sent home to study by teachers at a Black Country school while allegedly still being marked as present on registers, a disciplinary hearing was told.
Some pupils were allegedly told to stay at home by teachers at Hillcrest High School, in Netherton, Dudley, which was led by acclaimed superhead Dame Mo Brennan between 2000 and 2007.
Members of the Teaching Agency professional conduct panel heard it was like an "early bath" to disruptive year 11 students instead of permanently excluding them ahead of their GCSE exams.
But they were still marked in attendance at school and mainly noted as being educated off site on the daily register, it was claimed at the hearing. Any schools which permanently exclude pupils are fined £3,000 and also lose up to £3,700 of education funding per student, the panel heard.
The allegations were being made by current Hillcrest headteacher April Garratt as she gave evidence to the hearing in Coventry yesterday.
She said issues came to light during a routine audit of school records.
Mrs Garratt said: "The term early bath was used for the exclusion of the pupils in year 11 at an early date who were clearly not settled in school and who were disruptive and unwilling to sit their GCSEs."
She added these were not fully ratified as official exclusions, when questioned by Teaching Agency presenting officer Bradley Albuery.
Mrs Garratt said attendance figures were very important as under 90 per cent could eventually result in a school being placed in special measures.
Solicitor Mrs Melanie McDonald, acting on behalf of Mrs Brennan, said that attendance had been recorded at 92 per cent at Hillcrest.
Mrs Brennan is appearing in front of the panel with teachers Shelley Derham and Linda Westwood.
All three deny unacceptable professional conduct.
The hearing continues.
