The GORSE Academies Trust (TGAT) recently came under fire for its isolation policy at John Smeaton Academy in Leeds. Parents of three students took the school’s approach to court, arguing that it was both unfair and ineffective. Mrs Justice Collins Rice, High Court judge, handed down her judgment this morning. The court found no legal basis to intervene, thus affirming the academy’s discriminatory practices. The case challenged the heartbreaking and systemic violation of human rights and federal law on the government’s failure to enforce guidelines on school discipline.
John Smeaton Academy has been taken over by TGAT since 2021. The trust currently oversees 15 schools in the Leeds area. John Smeaton Academy, for example, received an overall ‘good’ rating by national schools watchdog Ofsted in 2024. The watchdog commended the academy for its “consistent ‘positive discipline’ approach,” a factor that played a crucial role in the court’s decision.
During the 2023-24 academic year, three students at John Smeaton Academy spent a combined total of 154 school days in isolation. The other two of these pupils had explicit records of past violence against their classmates and teachers. That third pupil had previously been a chronic behavior problem—she was openly defiant and had developed a pattern of truancy. The parents contended that the school’s repeated use of isolation was an infringement of their children’s human rights. Critics argued it was a deviation from the federal government’s own discipline guidelines.
The parents argued that the school, John Smeaton Academy, breached several legal regimes. They cited in particular the Education and Inspections Act and Article 8 of the UK Human Rights Act, which protects personal right to private life. They described their children’s experiences as “unproductive, unpleasant, stressful and distressing.”
In her dissent, Mrs. Justice Collins Rice insisted that the court lacked any legal authority to require the school’s leadership to alter the institution’s discriminatory practices. She shot down the accusations that said otherwise. After the verdict, TGAT issued a statement applauding the decision. A spokesperson for TGAT expressed appreciation for the judgment. They welcomed that it applauds the steps John Smeaton Academy has taken to encourage good behavior and high standards of conduct.
In response to this ruling, advocacy organizations have urged a reconsideration of the use of isolation in schools. Dan Rosenborg reiterated that the effects of isolation should be acknowledged by policymakers. This is all the more important for those children with special educational needs and disabilities.
“In particular, they urge policymakers to give serious consideration to the now widespread and repeated use of isolation in mainstream schools, especially in the context of ongoing conversations about how best to support and include children with special educational needs and disabilities.” – Dan Rosenborg
