Source: Telegraph, The (UK)
Contact:  Sat, 18 Jul 1998
Author: Jane MacMillan

TWO EXPELLED BY SCHOOL FOR USING DRUGS

TWO boys have been expelled and 11 other pupils suspended from a leading
state school for using cannabis.

The boys and girls aged between 11 and 15 were disciplined after staff at
the Blue School in Wells, Somerset, launched an investigation when one boy
was allegedly found with the drug. He has been expelled with another boy
and has since been interviewed by police.

It is the second such incident at the school in recent years. Seven pupils
were disciplined in 1992 after LSD was discovered. The school, which has
more than 1,300 pupils, was eighth in the country in last year's A-level
league table.

Pam Morris, the head teacher, said yesterday: "We started looking at a
particular incident and discovered there had been pupils who had on
occasion used cannabis on the school site."

The 11 who had been suspended included two in the first year. They are due
to return to school before the end of term next Friday. She said:
"Ironically this is the week when the year nine pupils, aged 14, are
spending a week on drugs education."

The Blue School was founded in 1641 as a charitable foundation. It got its
name from the blue uniform.

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Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)