A COLLEGE which has been at the centre of controversy surrounding the treatment of students at academy schools says it is doing more to help ‘build strong relationships based on openness, trust and collaboration’.

For a number months Launceston College has been at the heart of discourse surrounding Athena Learning Trust and its approach to discipline and teaching.

Parents, students, local MPs and councillors have been vocal about issues they have witnessed and heard about within the trust. The issues within the trust have even prompted a number of public meetings across the county and led to discussions of the subject by Cornwall Council in Truro.

Local councillor Adrian Parsons (Altarnun and Stoke Climsland) has been at the heart of a number of conversations after hearing of students’ experiences. As a result, he said that there is something ‘fundamentally wrong with the system’. Adding that ‘it is hard to believe that, in some settings, this is how we are delivering secondary education to children in the 21st-century.’

Others have called the school’s approach ‘prison-like’, with Cllr Parsons arguing that ‘academisation has become more focused on profit’.

He said: “There appears to be an overriding drive for results at any cost—sometimes at the expense of those who do not quite fit the mould.

“This approach is failing not only our children but also our teachers.”

However, the school has said that a new system is aiming to ensure that parents and carers feel as though their voice is being heard and that they ‘have a genuine opportunity to help shape the future of Launceston College.’

In order to do so, the school has introduced regular parent surveys alongside a dedicated parent forum, where families will have the chance to share their views.

A spokesperson for Launceston College said: "We want parents and carers to know that their voices are heard and that they have a genuine opportunity to help shape the future of Launceston College. The introduction of regular parent surveys and a dedicated parent forum will give families simple and accessible ways to share their views, celebrate what is working well and tell us where we can improve.”

Launceston College says that the new systems will create ‘regular opportunities for constructive dialogue between families and school leaders’, and that the school aims to ensure that ‘families feel connected to the school community’.

The spokesperson continued: “One of our first steps is to take the time to speak with parents directly so that we can better understand their experiences and learn from their feedback. Future surveys will also explore areas such as school communication, student wellbeing and how supported children feel at school.

“The parent forum will create regular opportunities for constructive dialogue between families and school leaders, helping us build strong relationships based on openness, trust and collaboration. Our aim is to ensure that families feel connected to the school community and confident that their views help inform the decisions we make for the benefit of all our students.”