POLICE intervened after a protest over tough new rules at a Carlisle secondary school turned ugly, with pupils hurling bottles and stones at windows.

What began as a peaceful protest outside Richard Rose Central Academy (RRCA) about its new discipline policies - including a practice called “internal exclusion” - quickly became heated, with parents and children chanting loudly for the resignation of principal Ceri Bacon.

One parent had a banner comparing the school to a prison.

Soon after the school day ended, hundreds of pupils gathered outside the main entrance. Some lobbed plastic water bottles, sticks and stones at the building. One group tried to stove in large window - but fled when police officers stepped in.

After the rowdy scenes, parents refused to condemn the children.

“The bottles shouldn’t have been thrown but the kids feel passionately about what’s happening and they feel their voices are not being heard,” said Jodi Mellor, 32, from Currock.

She handed school staff a list of reasons cited for sending children home. It included walking around the school in a group bigger than four; speaking to a sibling from a different year group; having hair that is deemed to be too short; and wearing the wrong kind of trousers.

She said: “My 12-year-old son was sent home last week because they said his hair was too short,” said Jodi.

“They then sent me a letter, saying that the reason for his exclusion was ‘persistent bad behaviour’; but he’s done nothing wrong. The week before this happened he won student of the year award. He also plays for the school football team, the rugby team, and he’s there every morning bang on time.

“He’s now scared to go to school. They get sent home for such stupid little things.”

She had received hundreds of messages supporting the protest plan, she said.

Another parent, Amanda Skelton, 35, from Morton, said a solicitor had told her that the school’s practice of internally excluding pupils for several hours at a time amounted to a form of cruelty.

“I’m going to take legal action,” she said. “Going to this school is worse than going to jail.

“My son was kicked out on his first day back at school after just eight minutes because they said his hair was too short. They put him in isolation and said he’d be in there till his hair grows back.”

Angela Thompson, 47, was furious at the way her 14-year-old son has been treated in school.

She accused the school of flouting established rules on exclusion, and ignoring her child’s education care plan, which was put in place because he suffers from extreme anxiety.

Part of the plan was an agreement that he sits in a particular seat in his classroom.

She said: “He was excluded because he sat in that seat after a teacher told him to move. Parents have to be told about exclusions by the head or the deputy, and the child’s side of the story has to be listened to, but that hasn’t happened.

“They need to adhere to the law. To get respect, teachers have to give respect.”

Michaela Rowley, 29, said her 14-year-old daughter was excluded yesterday for arranging to include Year 10 pupils in the protest.

“She just wanted their voices to be heard,” said Michaela, adding that her daughter had previously been excluded for wearing “the wrong pants”.

A Cumbria Police spokesman said that officers were called to the school by concerned staff. “Police attended following reports objects being thrown by children at the school building,” he said. “There are currently no reports of damage having been caused.”

‘My daughter was terrified’

THE organisation which runs the Richard Rose Central Academy in Victoria Place said the parents and pupils involved in yesterday’s protest let the school down.

A spokesman said: “Today’s events after school are disappointing but come at the end of a day which had run smoothly with good behaviour across the school.

“It is sad that some students, egged on by a small group of parents, let themselves and the school down. We are wholly committed to implementing the school’s rules as we always have done in the past and have been heartened by the support of the overwhelming majority of parents and students.”

Yet the online petition that was started to protest at the school’s new discipline policies had yesterday been signed by almost 950 people.

Many parents voiced opinions on social media - some supporting the protestors and some backing the head teacher’s efforts to better control pupil behaviour.

Alyssia Ashurst wrote: “My daughters [were] terrified after being trapped in the building while chaos was going on outside. Bottles were being thrown at kids and windows, banging on windows, teachers with their own children having to be escorted to their cars by police... It is absolutely disgusting behaviour!”

She thanked the staff, teachers and police who looked after her daughters and got them home safely.

There was also concern for staff at the embattled school. Louise Wood said: “There’s no hope for my husband (who’s a teacher) or any other teacher when the parents act like this! Jeez. It’s rules. If you don’t like it take your child to another school but God help them when they get jobs and have got to live in the real world!”

Samantha Beard wrote: “This is serious. I don’t want my daughter walking home through this. You can blame all these teenagers if you like but something seriously needs to change with the management of them.

“My daughter was excluded for moving seats at dinner. Yet she is a hard-working, dedicated pupil and has seen her friends forced to put their lunch in the bin due to cleaning and pupil management. I’ve never seen anything like.

"Please review the rules and management and start making relationships work with you and your pupils. They’re there to learn.”