All work and no play as pupils treated like employees

Pupils starting at a brand-new £46 million academy school in Peterborough will find that their timetables feature no break times. An executive decision was taken by the school's principal to treat the pupils like 'employees' and the new school will not have a playground.

Principal Dr Alan McMurdo told parents that the school, which has a maths and science focus, had no plans to include any playtime in the average school day. He told the Peterborough Times; 'I want the teachers teaching and the children learning at the school. Research has shown that if children concentrate on lessons throughout the day, then their work improves. If children are enjoying lessons, then there will be no need to go and run off steam outside.'

The school's project manager explained the academy's ethos, saying; 'This will not be like a traditional school, and we are setting it up like a business. You would not expect office workers to be allowed outside to run around.'

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