Fizzy drinks make pupils unruly

Badly-behaved pupils are at their worst just after their morning break because of the caffeine and additives in fizzy drinks, a survey has found.

While disruptive behaviour during late mornings happens every day, it is particularly bad on Wednesdays, when pupils have had enough of school and the weekend is still three days away.

The survey of more than 800 pupils was carried out in the South-West last year by Les Kennedy, a history teacher and executive member of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers.

He asked about 15,000 teachers in 2,000 schools to log details about pupils and incidents and received replies from about five per cent. Mondays and Fridays showed below average levels of assaults and verbal abuse directed at teachers while Wednesday mornings were "not a good time to be teaching 14- to 16-year-olds".

Mr Kennedy said: "We wondered whether it was because the kids had rushed out and had their Enumbers in fizzy drinks at break and lunch.

"I think the high level of abuse on Wednesdays is because pupils have been at school for two days and have had enough."

He added that, after collating the report, he was "really depressed".