Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
World
Luke Powell & Sophie McCoid

Pupils could be excluded from school for 'malicious coughing' during pandemic

Pupils could be excluded for "malicious coughing" or making "inappropriate" jokes about the coronavirus pandemic, some schools have warned.

The new behavioural guidelines have been issued to parents as many schools prepare to welcome children back into their classrooms in England this week.

It comes as the Department for Education (DfE) said teachers could see an increase in bad behaviour due to pupils' lack of regular attendance and "classroom discipline" during the pandemic.

The Ark Alexandra Academy in Hastings, east Sussex, has set out a list of "coronavirus red lines" which will result in fixed-term exclusions for pupils should they be breached.

These include "deliberate or malicious" coughs or sneezes, "humorous, inappropriate comments or statements" related to Covid-19 and "purposeful physical contact with any other person".

Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here.

In a letter to parents in August, Jerome Scafe, network associate principal, said: "Any student that needs to have a fixed-term exclusion during the pandemic, will not return to main circulation until a risk assessment and we can be assured that the student will adhere to all our expectations."

Meanwhile, Ark Byron Primary Academy in Acton, west London, said in its letter to parents that if a pupil refuses to follow hygiene routines and social distancing instructions they will "immediately be moved to a separate area".

Keep up to date with coronavirus cases in your area by adding your postcode below


It said: "Some behaviours (eg coughing deliberately on another person) that were previously 'simply' anti-social, are now potentially extremely serious."

The DfE said schools should clearly state the consequences for bad behaviour, particularly around new movement restrictions and hygiene rules.

In its updated guidance for schools, the DfE said on Friday: "It is likely that adverse experiences or lack of routines of regular attendance and classroom discipline may contribute to disengagement with education upon return to school, resulting in increased incidence of poor behaviour."

The DfE added that schools should work with pupils "who may struggle to re-engage" by providing them with support "for overcoming barriers to attendance and behaviour and to help them re-integrate back into school life".

 
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.