He insists students “buy in” to the school’s values and standards, adding that no pupil “would turn up with pink hair because they have respect for our school”.
Thompson says he subscribes to so-called ‘nudge theory’, where individuals are encouraged to feel in control of the decisions they make.
Students are “encouraged to rebel when they seeing something that is unjust”, he says, but they are taught to “use the correct mechanisms”.
“My door is always open to students and parents,” he says. “We also have a school council. It is important student know the reason behind our expectations.”
Thompson says the school is preparing its students for life – and the workplace – where, he says, first impressions count.
“If a parent comes to my office to meet the head teacher and they find me unshaven and not looking presentable they will form an opinion of me based on what they see.”
Thompson says where complaints are made, either by parents or students themselves, “there is usually something broader going on in terms of the culture at that school”.