Primary school children forced to listen to classical music on lunch break and banned from talking loudly

From Beethoven to Mozart and Franz Schubert, the youngsters are only allowed to chat quietly as they listen to the music.

Teachers at Lee Chapel Primary, in Basildon, Essex, think the new scheme will help children appreciate more genres of music in later life and boost learning.

But parents have hit back. claiming the students have been punished if they chat.

One mum claimed pupils who break the rules are forced to stand behind their chair or against the wall as punishment.

She said: "All the parents are completely at their wit's end at the moment and this new lunch time arrangement seems to be the final straw for a lot of parents.

"People are getting ready to pull their child from the school because of all the ridiculous rules, myself and my husband included."

But headteacher, Sue Jackson strongly refuted the claims and said the scheme will benefit youngsters.

The school has been praised by Ofsted for its "outstanding teaching and learning result in excellent progress and achievement by pupils".

Ms Jackson said: "Studies have shown that playing classical music to children boosts their concentration and self-discipline and improves their general listening and social skills.

"Children exposed to the works of Beethoven and Mozart, for example, are more likely to appreciate a wider range of music in later years.

"Children are encouraged to listen to the music and talk quietly to the child next to them and not calling out across the table.

"All the children did this successfully on Monday and enjoyed the music, as did the staff who ate with the children.

"A child in Year Six was given three minutes 'time out' for disregarding the reasonable request of a member of staff which is in-line with the school's behaviour policy, but he was not reprimanded for talking."

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