Tom Sherrington, head of Highbury Grove School sent 300 pupils to detention a day during his first week in charge back in September . A super-strict headmaster has transformed behaviour at his secondary school by putting more than 300 pupils a day in detention. Tom Sherrington joined Highbury Grove School last September and immediately enforced a tough discipline policy, which was called ‘Orwellian’ by some parents. Automatic one-hour detentions were introduced for arriving late to a lesson or wearing uniform incorrectly. Disruption in lessons led to a full day in an isolation room. The approach led to ‘huge numbers’ in detention – more than 300 every day in the first week. Now, the figure is about 80. However, punctuality and uniform standards at the school in Islington, North London, have ‘improved dramatically’. The turnaround contributed to society magazine Tatler naming it one of Britain’s best state schools this year. Writing in the Times Educational Supplement, Mr Sherrington said: ‘Standards continue to improve; behaviour is not yet impeccable but we’re well on the way. ‘More and more students are prepared to admit that they like it; the school is still a happy, friendly, supportive place – but now they can get on with learning and teachers can get on with teaching in a way that wasn’t always possible before.’ When he started at the music specialist school there was a feeling among staff that approaches based on ‘restorative justice hadn’t really worked’. This trendy discipline method in many schools involves taking a no-blame approach to bullies. Mr Sherrington wrote: ‘The perception was that it had created a need for constant negotiation, enacted inconsistently across the school because of a lack of clarity around the rules and the consequences of breaking them. ‘Several teachers who left last summer even cited behaviour as a reason. It wasn’t terrible in general, but some classes were just too hard to teach. Clearly I needed to act.’ In January, Tatler magazine said the school, pictured, had been transformed by 'a brilliant new head' Pupils were given a set of coded warnings and consequences, so they had to make a choice between meeting standards or ‘sit a detention’. Mr Sherrington said: ‘After 15 weeks, the impact has been clear. Uniform standards and punctuality improved dramatically almost overnight: Students run into school now instead of dawdling and 99 per cent have perfect uniform. Teachers are extremely positive too.’ He admitted the early weeks were ‘tough’, with parents complaining about the detentions. Some critics said it was ‘draconian’ for pupils to sit in silence for an hour. But others urged him not to change the strategy. In January Tatler said the school was ‘transformed’ with a ‘brilliant new head’ who was keen on ‘impeccable behaviour’ and ‘details’ including top buttons being done up at all times. This is in stark contrast to the school’s low point in 2005 when Channel 4’s Dispatches sent an undercover teacher who filmed pupils clambering across desks, throwing books across the room and attacking each other.
Tom Sherrington joined Highbury Grove School back in September . In January, Tatler described it as one of the best schools in Britain . Mr Sherrington clamped down on discipline upon his arrival in school . 300 pupils-a-day were given detention in the first week for rule breaches . Now that figure has fallen to approximately 80 .