A newly arrived headteacher at Frome Community College in Somerset has been accused of running the school "like a military base" after issuing 25 pupil suspensions in the first week of the autumn term. Parents say their children were disciplined for trivial reasons such as zipping a bag too loudly, looking out of a window, and nervous laughter, sparking anger and concern for pupils' wellbeing, particularly those with special educational needs. Interim Principal Dan Jeffries has defended all 25 suspensions, insisting they were issued only for persistent defiance and disruption rather than minor infractions like uniform or lateness.

Parents including Natalie Morris and Ann-Marie Ramsey, both of whom have children with SEND, said pupils were sent to a "reset room" for fidgeting or being overwhelmed, and claimed some had been penalised over hair and nail colour. Mr Jeffries said pupils would need to be "completely defiant" and disrupt lessons four times under school policy before suspension was considered, and pointed out the 20 days of suspensions represented a small proportion of the school's 1,400-pupil population. Reaction was mixed: some parents and staff welcomed clearer, more consistent discipline, while sixth-formers criticised the approach as "outrageous" and said it had left younger pupils demotivated.