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'Respect' turns school around
Pupils speak out in defence of John Bunyan Upper and how radical changes have improved its reputation
Pupils have spoken about how violence at a failing Bedford school was commonplace – and the radical changes made to turn it around.
Teenagers at John Bunyan Upper School, in Mile Road, say they feel safe and proud to be there, but that it was a different place a year ago.
Brennan Beckford, 17, who is leaving this year to go to university, said: "In 2007 there were all sorts going on. There were problems with the behaviour of people and fights all the time.
"There did not seem any discipline. With fights, teachers would stand there and just watch."
The school was put on the National Challenge list in 2007 when less than 30 per cent of pupils achieved five GCSEs with grades from A* to C.
The campus was ranked among the worst 15 schools in the country when GCSE results were published last summer, and came under fire again in a national newspaper this month for the "aggressive and dangerous behaviour" of its youngsters.
But this week the Times & Citizen was given open access to the classrooms to find out from pupils whether things have improved.
Jayden Rai, 15, said: "When I was in year nine it was bad, but everyone wanted to do better. Visitors are surprised when they come round the school, they expect the worst and don't get it.
"I feel perfectly safe and happy in the school. People show John Bunyan in a negative way, but I don't feel ashamed to go here."
Katie Foskett, 16, added: "It makes me laugh what people say in the papers, we actually come here and know what goes on."
Exclusions have fallen from 76 in the 2007 autumn term to six in autumn 2008, and a new Ofsted report published last month graded the school as satisfactory and improving.
Headteacher Ursula Byrne, who took over last June, said: "This school has been demonised.
"There was a time when it had a reputation for drugs and crime, and you were only there on your way to prison, but things have changed.
"The first thing we introduced was a traditional behavioural policy, things like walking on the left in corridors, standing when an adult walks into the classroom.
"The centre of the policy is respect. Students respect each other, students respect staff and staff respect each other. It is really working and has transformed the school."
Mrs Byrne said the number of pupils gaining five GCSEs from grades A* to D rose from 23 per cent in 2007 to 27 per cent in 2008, and that with continuing improvements she expects more than 30 per cent of children to pass this year.
She added: "You see, there are no children hanging from the ceilings, everyone is sitting quietly, working in groups and learning. This is a normal, safe school.
"John Bunyan is a lovely school, yes there can be naughty and mischievous children, but that makes them normal."
The school will become an academy next year, with The Harpur Trust and Bedford College as sponsors. Its trust will be responsible for running the school, outside of local education authority control, but it will still be funded by the government and cover the national curriculum core subjects.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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