Egging teachers?

[Daggers]

What a yolk.

'I'm missing a super learning opportunity because I need a tinkle': School infuriates parents with bizarre new initiatives including toilet passes that can only be used once a week

• Castle Vale Performing Arts College issues the cards every Monday morning
  
• Students have also been told they can only communicate in class via a series of hand-signals
  
• Pupils have also been told that their bags would be searched to ensure their mobile phones are switched off
  
• Parents staged an angry protest outside the college on Thursday after 40 students were sent home for wearing the wrong shoes
  

By Anthony Bond

PUBLISHED: 13:32, 8 September 2012 | UPDATED: 15:26, 8 September 2012

A secondary school has outraged parents after introducing a 'tinkle pass' which allows students out of lessons to use the toilet just once a week.

The cards are issued to students at Castle Vale Performing Arts College in Birmingham every Monday morning.

If students don't use them, they must hand them in on a Friday afternoon to ensure they aren't carried forward to the next week.

Anger: Castle Vale Performing Arts College has outraged parents after introducing a 'tinkle pass' which allows students out of lessons to use the toilet just once a week

The specially designed 'tinkle card' reads: 'I am missing a super learning opportunity because I need a tinkle.'

New headmistress at the school, Charlotte Blencowe, is responsible for the introduction of the cards after introducing a series of new strict policies after taking over during the summer.

Students have also been told they can only communicate in class via a series of hand-signals.

These include 'Fingers to eyes and then to the board = I can't see', 'To hands clasped in the air = I need a new book or paper' and '3 fingers in the air = I need the toilet.'

Pupils have also been told that their bags would be searched to ensure their mobile phones are switched off and to check that they have the required number of pens and pencils.

Ideas: New headmistress at the school, Charlotte Blencowe, pictured, is responsible for the introduction of the cards after introducing a series of new strict policies since taking over during the summer

The new rules come after parents staged an angry protest outside the college on Thursday after 40 students were sent home for wearing the wrong shoes.

Police were called when crowds of parents gathered outside the gates, furious that their children had been turned away for breaching a tough new uniform code.

Eggs were thrown at the teachers during the protest.

Teresa Doyle's children, Ellie, 13, and Connoe, 15, attend the school.

She said: 'It's a secondary school but they're treating it more like a nursery with all these hand signals and "tinkle cards".'

'My kids are saying to me, "Mum, we're not at school, we're at a prison".'

'They're not allowed to talk in class at all and must do everything by these bizarre hand signals.'

Mrs Doyle said all pupils were allowed into school yesterday even though many still 'broke' the new uniform rules.

She said: 'There were crowds of parents in reception complaining, but no-one's yet managed to talk to the headteacher.

'One parent spotted the headteacher in the corridor and tried to speak to her but she refused.

'She told one of the other teachers to speak to him and then turned her back on him.'

Miss Blencoe, who reportedly once dated the son of Chuckle Brothers star Barry Elliot, has refused to comment on the allegations.

Another parent said: 'It's ridiculous because what happens if the child needs to use the toilet during class more than once a week?

Fury: Police were called to the school on Thursday when crowds of parents gathered outside the gates, furious that their children had been turned away for breaching a tough new uniform code

Trouble: Parents and pupils staged an angry protest outside the college on Thursday after 40 students were sent home for wearing the wrong shoes

'What are they supposed to do - wet themselves?'

The only communication given to parents has been via deputy headteacher, Mark Riggall.

Parents yesterday received a text message telling them to go to the school website and download a letter written by Mr Riggall.

It reads: 'I would officially like to thank everybody who has worked hard to make the day today such a success.

Not happy: Connor Simons, 12, whose mother Wendy had to go to Asda and buy him a pair of shoes for £25

'The atmosphere inside school was calm and focused, allowing all students to engage their learning in a positive way.'

The letter goes on to list the types of shows which are acceptable, with Mr Riggall saying he needed to 'clear up some issues' from the first day of term.

The letter then states that students wearing the appropriate shoes would be allowed into lessons, whilst those who are not 'will be held in the main hall until the correct footwear is brought into school.'

[FrankieADZ]

think the head has kinda gone power mad imo.

think children need to try & enjoy learning/going to school; not fear it....which i think the Head is kinda doing.

[Guest]

I'd like detention with that head mistress.

[Bellend Sebastian]

The important matters, as usual, are hidden in the detail:

"Miss Blencoe, who reportedly once dated the son of Chuckle Brothers star Barry Elliot, has refused to comment on the allegations."

[purpleronnie]

The important matters, as usual, are hidden in the detail:

"Miss Blencoe, who reportedly once dated the son of Chuckle Brothers star Barry Elliot, has refused to comment on the allegations."

[21st Century Fox]

New headmistress at the school, Charlotte Blencowe, pictured, is responsible for the introduction of the cards after introducing a series of new strict policies since taking over during the summer

Miss Blencoe, who reportedly once dated the son of Chuckle Brothers star Barry Elliot, has refused to comment on the allegations.

They managed to spell her name wrong and crowbar in a past relationship with the son of Barry Chuckle. Brilliant.

[AyewJoking]

HMILF!

[Captain...]

They managed to spell her name wrong and crowbar in a past relationship with the son of Barry Chuckle. Brilliant.

Not to mention numerous other basic mistakes, the Mail's standards are slipping, which is impressive as they were already pretty low.

As for the story.

I hope they got sent home with cards saying:

'I am missing a super learning opportunity because I am wearing the wrong shoes.'

Just absolute nonsense, to think it is acceptable to send kids home to miss a whole day of super learning opportunities, and yet are only allowed to go for a piss once a week.

Of course, there are plenty of opportunities to piss during the day, break, lunch, between periods and double periods always had a toilet break in them, it is hardly draconian, I don't think I ever needed to leave class to go to the toilet in secondary school, but it is the patronising and unnecessary nature of those cards that makes it look so clueless.

[Leicesterpool]

To end with the sack i think, its clear this head teacher as gone power mad. Schools must have rules but sending kids home for wearing wrong shoes is stupid, all it needs is a polite warning "make sure you wear the correct shoes tomorrow"

sounds like something you would hear on waterloo road, they may have just writ an episode for the producers!

[Captain...]

To end with the sack i think, its clear this head teacher as gone power mad. Schools must have rules but sending kids home for wearing wrong shoes is stupid, all it needs is a polite warning "make sure you wear the correct shoes tomorrow"

...especially on the first day of school, a bit of common sense wouldn't go amiss, although I remember kids getting sent home for haircuts not that long ago.

[Guest]

Who runs the schools?

The kids or the Head?

[Captain...]

Who runs the schools?

The kids or the Head?

Don't know how it works in France, but over here it is usually the head...

[Guest]

Don't know how it works in France, but over here it is usually the head...

And quite rightly.

In France the Head has practically NO power.

The Teachers have more and the kids have an unsupportable amount.

[Captain...]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned bag searches, that is clearly a lot worse than any tinkle pass (which is just a variation on the American hall pass) or dress code regulation.

That is the only thing that concerns me, teachers should not be able to search bags without due cause.

[21st Century Fox]

...especially on the first day of school, a bit of common sense wouldn't go amiss, although I remember kids getting sent home for haircuts not that long ago.

Haha, I remember a kid at school getting sent home for strutting in with a Dennis Rodman-esque leopard print dye job on his shit crew cut.

[MooseBreath]

Don't see the problem with sending kids home if they aren't wearing correct uniform. Rules are rules. Maybe would have been better to send letters, but perhaps she wanted to send out a message.

The tinkle pass and bag searches are a bit too much though. There are surely easy ways of dealing with phones such as collecting them all before class starts and then giving them back

[Guest]

Passes to go to the toilet are pathetic.

Students shouldn't have automatic permission to go to the toilet during lesson time. There is ample time for going to the toilet outside of class time. However the teacher should be the one who decides.

I have known teachers whose pupils have played the toilet card continually. It disrupts the teaching and the class. I don't think some of you realise the way students abuse what should be a common sense right of man.

Bag searching again is draconian. However mobile phones are a plague to teaching and teachers. If you could sit in some classes as an observer you would be truly amazed at how many students and how often are on their phones. I guess you should check your children's facebook pages to see when they were updated or viewed.

Schools are for learning. They may not do a very good or efficient job of it but you'd be amazed how much worse they are because of "small" seemingly insignificant student actions.

[Captain...]

Passes to go to the toilet are pathetic.

Students shouldn't have automatic permission to go to the toilet during lesson time. There is ample time for going to the toilet outside of class time. However the teacher should be the one who decides.

I have known teachers whose pupils have played the toilet card continually. It disrupts the teaching and the class. I don't think some of you realise the way students abuse what should be a common sense right of man.

Bag searching again is draconian. However mobile phones are a plague to teaching and teachers. If you could sit in some classes as an observer you would be truly amazed at how many students and how often are on their phones. I guess you should check your children's facebook pages to see when they were updated or viewed.

Schools are for learning. They may not do a very good or efficient job of it but you'd be amazed how much worse they are because of "small" seemingly insignificant student actions.

Simple solution though is anyone caught using their mobile, or it going off, beeping or vibrating, gets it confiscated for the rest of the day, or, if it is at the end of the day, it is confiscated at the start of the next day.

They will quickly learn, searching bags is not on.

As for toilet passes, I just don't think they are necessary, you just need to allow the teacher to apply common sense, same with the hand signals, just put your hand up and ask the teacher, it is not rocket science, but authorities are so scared of allowing their staff to display any sort of free thought that they need to apply such nonsense.

If a teacher is unable to maintain order in a classroom because people need the toilet, can't see the board, or need more paper, then they are not a good teacher and need to be trained better and not have this kind of nonsense imposed on the rest of the staff.

[Bellend Sebastian]

If someone gets caught with a phone, you just make them swap it for this one:

If the problem persists, that's when you cut their hand off with a blunt machete infront of their class mates.

Storm in a teacup, as always

[Sol thewall Bamba]

My old secondary school had a similar dispute when girls where sent home for wearing the "wrong colour" bras, the usual kind of stand off happened where the Teachers refused the entry etc and the kids threatened to due them for perversion, I never found out what actually happened in the end.

Its the typical thing where head teachers do something radical to try and get recognition from higher up the ladder, hoping to brown nose themselves higher up the tree.

Edit:

Link if anyone's interested:

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/3862964.School_checks_colour_of_kids__underwear__say_parents/

[21st Century Fox]

Isn't this the sort of thing Daily Mail readers would advocate anyway? Putting unruly kids in their place, fixing broken Britain with some discipline. So is this only a story because it's easy to sensationalise or because there's a woman at the centre of it?

[Corky]

'My kids are saying to me, "Mum, we're not at school, we're at a prison".'

How would they know?

[Guest BlueBrett]

What a dopey cow. I'm surprised they didn't throw bricks.

[Nick]

Makes you wonder what lengths you should go to as a head teacher when kids are leaving the class room every 3 minutes to go to the toilet (or rather send a text) and phones cause issues as they are valuable and end up nicked or smashed which leads to complaints. Shoes too - trainers cause division and are often nicked and taken.........

Not saying this head teacher is going about things the right way, I just maybe understand what has led to why she has made the decisions she has........

[21st Century Fox]

What are the odds his trainers had ever touched a running track?