PARENTS and school children shared their powerful testimonies of how they see life at Launceston College in a public meeting held at the town hall.

Athena Learning Trust, the academy chain which operates the school, was not in attendance but said it understood how much families care for their children’s experience.

The chair of the meeting, Bonny Shanks said: “I thought everyone who spoke did so in a really calm and collected manner and there were some quite emotional stories from students, ex students parents, carers and former teachers.

“I understand that the school is doing what they have to do in running the school in accordance with the relevant legislation and to be fair, they are usually quite responsive but some of those affected struggle to get through if they don’t have the flexibility in their jobs, for example, to allow that.

“Issues raised by parents include the discipline regime, cover for teachers who are on long term sick or have left the school and the lack of choice – in such a deeply rural area and packed schools, it is difficult to move our children to other schools where there are few or no remaining places.

“One of the problems with the current system is there is no legal requirement to consult parents apart from a few key areas such as special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision. There are areas where consultation is recommended as good practice but as this is optional and the law is vague on 'how' the consultation should happen, leaving parents feeling excluded."

The proposed resolution called for “our elected representatives to ask the Department for Education how these issues and experiences can be monitored and addressed? With no choice of where to send our children Athena must adapt their management style to be more inclusive and fair. Parents want more transparency and more say in key decisions."

A spokesperson for Athena Learning Trust said: “At Launceston College, we understand how much families care about their children’s experience, particularly when there is wider discussion in the community. It is important to us that parents and carers feel informed, reassured and able to hear directly from us about the work taking place at the college.

“We are proud of the progress made in recent years through the combined efforts of our students, staff and families, and we remain fully committed to continuing that journey. Our priority is ensuring every child feels safe, supported and able to succeed, which underpins everything we do, from attendance and behaviour to SEND provision and academic outcomes.

“We are also pleased to see our work supporting students with special educational needs and disabilities making a real difference, particularly through our Alternative Resource Base, which helps young people gain qualifications, build independence and prepare for the next stage of their lives.

“We will continue to work openly and constructively with families, and we welcome ongoing dialogue to support every child to thrive, we encourage families to contact the college directly with any matters they would like to raise.”