Students protest as 'strictest head in UK' brings 'military' methods into school
Students have staged a protest as a man once dubbed "Britain's strictest headteacher" introduces his controversial methods into their school.
Barry Smith has been accused of bringing "military" tactics into King's Leadership Academy and pupils were said to be so angry that they orchestrated a protest yesterday afternoon, with many refusing to go back to class after lunch.
Mr Smith was recently hired as a freelance consultant at the Liverpool high school but has seen backlash from students, some of whom claim he has made alleged "sexist" and innapropriate comments. School bosses said they investigated the claims and have proven them to be unfounded.
One student told the Liverpool Echo: "Barry Smith is ruining our school and causing chaos to our existing systems of organisation, punishment, behavior, and learning. His school culture is commonly described as 'military-esque.'"
One parent also voiced her concerns. She said: "I think he is trying to make it into a sort of military prep school and it isn't that, it's a state school."
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She added: "He wants the kids to show respect but he isn't showing them respect. The kids were happy going to school before he came along and now they are protesting."
The students staged a protest which some said lasted 30 minutesThe protest was said to last around 30 minutes before staff intervened and offered the chance or students to directly raise their concerns with the school leadership. School bosses suggested it was more like ten minutes.
The student who spoke out further claimed Mr Smith held an assembly and accused female students of having "resting b***h face" and of "using tears to get their way."
But school bosses said the claims were unfounded and unsubstantiated.
One of the students said: "Barry Smith and his military antics have been brought to King's Liverpool and students aren't happy about it.
"Since his employment at our school, he has made sexist comments and expressed a concerning perspective of Special Educational Needs.
"Barry took all of the girls in King's to an assembly where he made crude comments about them such as; 'all of the girls here have resting b***h faces'; 'they use tears to get their way'; and 'these are the worst girls I've seen in the entire country'.
"Many students can vouch for the comments he made."
Shane Ierston, Chief Executive of the Great Schools Trust which runs King's Leadership Academy, responded to the claims.
King's Leadership Academy hired Barry Smiith as a consultant for the school (Liverpool Echo)He said: “The trust, which King’s Leadership Academy Liverpool joined in 2015, is recognised for the high expectations it places on behaviour and academic achievement.
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“To ensure behaviour standards are being maintained, since January King’s Liverpool has been working with consultant Barry Smith.
"Over the last six weeks, areas for improvement have been identified and successfully implemented by the senior leadership team.
“Unfortunately, this has led to unsubstantiated claims being made about aspects of the behaviour initiative.
"An investigation about comments allegedly made in an assembly, at which senior members of the academy’s management team were present, have proven to be unfounded.”
This is not the first Mr Smith has been in the headlines for his methods in schools.
In 2017 he took over a failing school before re-launching it as the Great Yarmouth Charter Academy, Norfolk.
He was reported to give children sick buckets if they felt ill to avoid them leaving the room.
He also urged students to be asleep by 9.30pm and up at 6.30am every day and reportedly installed a mandatory smile regime for pupils.
According to an ITV investigation, he called the children "detainees" - and also punished those who didn't smile or shuffled too much.
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