A departing head teacher has slammed unruly pupils and parents.

Walderslade Girls’ School’s Louise McGowan revealed she is leaving her job due to ill health, having undergone major surgery.

But before she quits in the summer, she wants to take on unruly behaviour and urge parents to instill more discipline.

In a letter sent home, she described serious breaches in behaviour policy which have led to five pupils being expelled.

And she has implemented a tough 'no-excuse' stance – banning pupils from Year 7 to 11 from bringing in electronic devices.

She told parents: “The fact five students this year have lost their places is unprecedented but I will not tolerate and never will tolerate extremes of poor behaviour that risk spoiling the school and the valuable education it provides for the majority of really wonderful students that attend here.”

The crackdown comes after a “host of unpleasant and quite frankly inexcusable attitudes from children, often starting at younger ages and worsening as children grow through teenage years”.

She added: “More students now are ignoring the school’s rules on use of mobile phones, choosing to openly use them in front of staff without fear of consequence, refusing to comply with instructions to put them away and often refusing confiscations.”

"We had several incidents where parents actively fought on behalf of the child against the school, even when their child was in breach of the behaviour policy" - Louise McGowan

She is particularly concerned about some parents not backing the school’s efforts to implement sanctions and punishments for their children’s poor behaviour.

“We had several incidents where parents actively fought on behalf of the child against the school, even when it has been found through investigation evidence their child was in breach of the behaviour policy,” she said.

This made teachers’ jobs extremely difficult and served to “empower” children’s poor attitudes and behaviour rather than to correct them.

Speaking to our sister paper the Medway Messenger, Mrs McGowan, who has been at the school in Bradfields Avenue, Chatham, for five years, said: “I love my job, but it does require immense stamina.

“I am not on my knees but I have been in poor health. It has left me having to evaluate what I can do.

“After coming back after kidney surgery, I decided I wanted to sort out behavioural problems. I had a bee in my bonnet about it.

“I want to ensure I leave the house in good order.”

Mrs McGowan said the behaviour of most pupils has always been “exemplary” with the school priding itself on instilling good discipline.

But in recent months there has been “a growing number of students who do not believe the school has a role or a right” to tackle bad behaviour.

Her letter added: “It is simply not acceptable for a parent to argue when their child has clearly been in the wrong, has broken rules and found to have misbehaved or been rude.

“Arguing and making excuses for their child only serves to fuel the undesirable behaviour.”

She added most parents had been supportive of staff.