A NEW system to reduce congestion at Tavistock College has come under heavy fire by some students and parents.

Students told the Times that since the new staggered break system began at the start of term they had felt restricted in the school, with little opportunity to go outside and get some fresh air and exercise between lessons.

But Tavistock College principal John Simes said he introduced the new 'tighter controlled' environment so that the school could supervise the large number of pupils safely.

In addition, it has had to prepare for a major building programme and drainage works on the college fields.

To this end, Mr Simes has staggered the breaks and students are kept in restricted areas at lunchtimes and breaktimes so they do not wander around and disturb lessons.

Mr Simes said he had received very little negative feedback about the new system which had been based on similar schemes in other schools in the UK and America.

'I have had four letters and four e-mails on the subject and they have actually not been that negative — the main concern is about the access to the fields,' he said.

He admitted that it was not healthy to keep the children off the fields but it was the only way at the beginning of term to supervise the children safely.

'We have been looking at ways of making more space available for outdoor activity and we have opened up a section of a field and the hard courts and half of the car park will be available in about a week's time,' he said.

Children were being encouraged to bring a bottle of water with them which they could take into lessons and a breakfast service had been started.

Incidents of bullying and stolen property had gone down and there was a noticeable improvement in the college environment, added Mr Simes.

With only half of the school's 1,880 population on a break at any one time, Mr Simes said the problem of congestion was subsiding, queues for meals had gone down and the conduct of pupils had improved.

However, letters have arrived at the school from concerned parents and frustrated students, including a group of girl pupils from Year 8.

One student claimed the whole school was annoyed about the staggered break system: 'Sometimes we have three lessons before a break and then a really late lunch at 1.30pm,' she said.

'You do not get a chance to meet up with your friends who are on a different break and we have not been allowed to go outside on the fields and play.'

The girls said in their letter, details of which were passed to the Times, that they understood why this had been done but keeping the pupils inside was 'unhealthy and claustrophobic'.

One mother, who did not wish to be named, said her child had just joined the college from a small primary school where they 'had regular breaks and spent lots of time outside'.

'My son is looking pale and ill and he just does not want to go to school anymore,' she said.

Her feelings were reiterated by one sixth form student, who said there was a feeling of malcontent.