Pupils banned from chatting when walking in corridors

PUPILS have been banned from talking when walking to and from lessons by a secondary school.

Those caught talking face being given a 20-minute detention.

The silent corridors policy is being introduced at Ninestiles School, an academy in Birmingham, when they return from half term in November.

Ninestiles School, which educates 1,3 5 pupils aged 11-18 and is rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted inspectors, wrote to parents about the change last week.

The letter said: ‘All student movement including to and from assembly, at lesson changeover and towards communal areas at break and lunch will be carried out in silence. Students will leave school in silence following the conclusion of their last lesson.’

Despite the talking ban, the school says pupils will be able to ‘relax and socialise’ in allocated speaking areas.

The move has angered some parents. A father of one said: ‘Why does the school want to teach children to be mute zombies? In workplaces people chat and speak to each other, why not at school? It’s a place of learning and exploring ideas, not a North Korean gulag or a monastery.’

Co-head teachers Alex Hughes and Andrea Stephens defended the policy and said: ‘We know that students arriving to lessons ready to learn can be further supported by doing so in silence at certain points in the day.’ They said they would review the policy at the end of the term and consider any feedback.