Parents label school a ‘military base’ after headteacher suspends 25 pupils in a week

| Freelance News Reporter Published September 18, 2026 7:51am Updated September 18, 2026 7:51am New interim principal Dan Jeffries defended the suspensions as necessary to stop pupils’ education being disrupted (Picture: ITV) A total of 25 students have been suspended by a new headteacher within a week for ‘persistent disruption’ including zipping their bags too loudly. Dan Jeffries has made an instant impression since starting as interim principal at the Frome Community College in Somerset this September. He insisted the figure was not a ‘wide-spread number’ for a school comprising of 1,400 pupils and that suspensions would have been for behaviour repeated at least four times. However one mother said her daughter with special educational needs had been temporarily excluded simply for ‘nervously laughing’. The worried parent said the suspension was a ‘massive setback’ for her child, who she said gets overwhelmed by new settings. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. Other offences which had led to suspensions included arriving one minute late to class and looking out of a window. ‘We want the kids’ needs to be met and not be treated like it’s a military base’, she said. Another parent said the school was being overly restrictive on attire, such as hair and nail colour and that her daughter’s needs weren’t being met. Parents of pupils at Frome Community College say the new disciplinary regime is ‘crazy’ and ‘like a military base’ (Picture: Google) Ann-Marie Ramsey said the new headteacher’s discipline had gone ‘crazy’, suggesting that misbehaving pupils should be given time out rather than being sent home. Sixth form student Liam Backhurst said that many of the suspensions were ‘outrageous’ and had left pupils starting the school year ‘demotivated’ and mentally affected by the decisions. However another mother, Liz Halliwell said she supported the new regime ‘as long as it’s fair and consistent for everybody involved’. Speaking to ITV West Country, Mr Jeffries insisted his rules allowed for a more consistent approach by teachers to poor behaviour, adding that pupils should be able to learn in a ‘interruption-free’ environment. He added that a ‘small minority’ of children were disrupting other pupils’ education and that while the school endeavours to support, it had to act to ensure everyone feels ‘safe to learn’. ‘It is safe to say a number of children did find returning to school more complicated, and that does happen some Septembers’, he said. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: 4,000-year-old Bronze Age mound vandalised after someone removed rocks Arrow MORE: Full list of food and drinks being banned in schools across England Arrow MORE: School dinners undergo major health kick decades after Turkey Twizzlers ban News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.