'Well-behaved' pupils get to leave school earlier Published duration 11 February 2017

image copyright Google image caption Castle View on Canvey Island hit the headlines in 2013 for banning triangular flapjacks after a student was injured by one

A school is letting pupils who behave well during the day go home before those who do not, it has emerged.

Castle View School on Canvey Island, Essex, said some pupils could finish at 14:50 if they had made "the right decisions, every lesson of the day".

Others finish 10 minutes later in what the school calls a "second dismissal".

An NUT official said he had not heard of a school doing this before, but that it was "not that innovative" if it was just another way of giving detentions.

The academy trust school, which hit the headlines in 2013 after banning triangular flapjacks , has about 1,100 students aged 11 to 16.

Pupils at the school begin their day at 08:30 with first lessons starting by 08:50.

'Parents juggling work'

In a letter to parents explaining the system, the school, rated "good" by Ofsted, said: "Our second dismissal system is designed to ensure students have an instant consequence that can be put right at the end of the day and start afresh the next day."

The BBC has asked the school whether the introduction of the new system had caused any issues for parents, but the school has yet to respond.

Jerry Glazier, general secretary of the Essex branch of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) said he had not heard of schools having split-time endings before.

"Then again, perhaps it is not that innovative if most pupils are leaving at the normal time and the rest are getting detentions," he said.

"It is up to schools to determine what rewards or sanctions they want to use to motivate pupils."

Michelle Doyle Wildman, policy and communications director at PTA UK, which represents parents and teacher associations, said: "PTA UK's position would be that its really important that parents are fully informed and preferably consulted on any changes to arrangements to the beginning and end of the school day.

"The best schools do see parents as key partners and will consider how they approach things from a parent and family perspective.

"This is especially relevant to parents juggling work and additional caring responsibilities."

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