A father has decided to move his son to a new school after Southchurch High School in Southend-on-Sea introduced strict "silent transitions" between lessons, with one-hour same-day
detentions for students caught talking.
The new rule, introduced Wednesday, sparked immediate backlash. Lee, whose son already struggles with depression and anxiety, said the policy could seriously harm his child's mental health, especially as he's preparing for his GCSEs. An online petition against the changes quickly gained over 500 signatures.
According to an email sent to parents, the school warned that detentions would also be handed out for other infractions like forgetting stationery, wearing incorrect uniforms, or missing homework.
"It's ridiculous," Lee told BBC Essex. "My son needs to be able to talk when he's feeling overwhelmed. Silencing him between lessons could be really damaging."
Another parent, Stuart, described the rules as "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut" and told his son to ignore any same-day detentions. He criticized the school for handing out the same severe punishment for what he called "stupidly miniscule" issues.
Abbey Riley, 35, who launched the petition, also voiced frustration. "You lose a pen – detention. You speak – detention. It’s beyond silly," she said. Her petition surpassed 500 signatures within just 24 hours. Even Matt Dent, a Southend-on-Sea City Council Labour cabinet member, added his concerns to the growing list of comments.
A recent Teacher Tapp survey showed that only 1% of teachers in the East of England reported using silent corridor policies, compared to 7% in London.
School defends the policy
Despite the backlash, headteacher Tracy Airoll defended the policy, saying it had been "tried and tested" across other schools in their academy trust, mostly in London.
Gráinne Hallahan, a former Essex teacher and head of community at Teacher Tapp, explained that silent corridors are often used to manage large student populations safely, especially with one-way systems and staggered lesson times.
Ms Airoll insisted the policy had been a success so far: "Feedback from staff has been overwhelmingly positive. Students are arriving to lessons calmly and ready to learn." Photo by David Kemp, Wikimedia commons.