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Fourteen-year-old Amelia chose to stop drinking water at school to avoid having to use the toilet during lessons, fearing disciplinary repercussions. This decision came after Camborne Science and International Academy in Cornwall, where she is a pupil, implemented strict rules restricting toilet visits during class time. These policies were part of a broader set of disciplinary measures introduced when Athena Learning Trust took control of the school in January 2024. Athena, which oversees six secondary schools in the Devon and Cornwall area, has faced significant criticism from parents and former staff for its rigorous approach.
Kayley, Amelia’s mother, attributes her daughter’s repeated urinary infections and kidney scarring to the fear instilled by these regulations, which led to Amelia deliberately avoiding drinking fluids during school hours. Amelia often returned home with her water bottle untouched, explaining that she didn’t want to risk going to the toilet and potentially facing sanctions. The trust’s restrictions included not allowing pupils to use the restroom within the first or last 15 minutes of lessons and permitting breaks only at the teacher’s discretion. This intense oversight sparked widespread backlash from parents, local politicians, and community members, culminating in protests, petitions, and public meetings demanding change.
Athena Learning Trust’s disciplinary style has been characterized by some as excessively authoritarian and rigid. Numerous pupils and teachers recounted experiences of a school environment where fear of punishment was prevalent. One student with ADHD said, “You’re constantly scared you’re going to do something wrong,” and a former music teacher described lessons that had to be conducted in complete silence. The trust employed a “two-strike” system, where students receive a warning for one mistake and are removed to a “reflection” room, a supervised area for silent, independent work, after a second infraction. Between September 2025 and March 2026, Launceston College alone reported around 1,000 such removals per month.
Concerns raised by parents of children with special educational needs (SEN) highlighted how these policies disproportionately affected vulnerable students. For example, April described her son Jack, who has SEN, being sent out to reflection frequently for behaviors tied to his needs, such as briefly looking away to refocus. Jack’s suspensions from school were similarly high, with Ilfracombe Academy’s suspension rate nearly five times the national average. Critics argue that behavior linked to disabilities is often misinterpreted as defiance, resulting in inappropriate punishments. The trust stated that it avoids sanctioning students for behavior related to special needs, but parents and pupils maintain that the approach lacks understanding and flexibility.
After sustained pressure, the Athena Learning Trust announced plans to dissolve and transfer its schools to other trusts, acknowledging “a clear need for change” following extensive feedback. The head of the trust who had championed the strict discipline resigned in May. The Department for Education has placed Athena under enhanced monitoring to ensure future disciplinary methods are reasonable and proportionate. Yet, the controversy around strict school discipline continues nationally, with debates on balancing firm behavior management and the wellbeing of students, especially those with special needs, ongoing. As one ex-student, Bethany, remarked, “They need to change the way that they’re thinking they can teach students as a one-size-fits-all.
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