The headteacher of King Alfred’s Academy has attributed violent schoolyard altercations to a small number of students who have ‘taken the law into their own hands.’

In a letter to parents of Year 7 and 8 pupils, Jonathan Smart said a number of incidents of fighting had broken out in those year groups over recent weeks.

Videos shared on social media show schoolchildren - aged between 11 and 13 - involved in physical altercations on-site, or just outside the gates, of the school in Wantage.

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Mr Smart said: “Let me first start by saying that fighting or physical altercation in any form is not part of what we expect from our student community, does not fit with our values and is, quite simply, not what we are about as a school.

“Inevitably, when there are 600 or so Key Stage 3 students coming together at the start of each school day there will be wonderful moments of friendship, but also occasions o disagreement, sometimes friendship issues and sometimes arguments; there is never a justifiable case for a physical resolution to these issues.

“Over the course of recent weeks, we have seen a number of such instances and this has most acutely been felt in Year 8, but with some in Year 7.

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“I must stress that the vast majority of Year 7 and 8 come into school and go about their day with good humour and positivity - they are a pleasure to work with, focus well in their lessons and are always polite to staff and to each other.

“Frustratingly, a minority of students have seen fit to bring into school issues that have arisen outside of school and in all cases been exacerbated by social media.

“Students have taken the law into their own hands and sought to resolve these disputes in a physical manner.

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“I know that this may be concerning for parents and indeed for the many, many lovely students who would not dream of behaving in this way.

“It is equally frustrating for staff, who work hard to educate your children and see so much positive behaviour, respect and politeness from so many students.”

Mr Smart said that social media ‘inevitably played a significant factor in the incidents’ and urged parents to monitor the online activity of their children.

He added that he had spoken to Year 7 pupils, and planned to speak to Year 8, to express that any physical violence would be met by suspension.

He said: “These are never easy decisions as a school leader, but at times need to be taken in order to ensure that the wider school community feel able to go about their business in a safe manner each day.

"Alongside this, there is much that we are doing in preparation for term six and for September to continue to improve the culture of our academy and ensure that we have clear routines that support a culture of attentive and respectful behaviour in our classrooms and around our sites.

"Of course, we will also work with a range of external agencies to support students where necessary."