FOUR pupils have been suspended at a Bournemouth school after being caught smoking suspected cannabis.

The boys aged 14 and 15 have been temporarily excluded from Winton Arts and Media College and Dorset Police are investigating.

The school was placed into special measures last year after Ofsted inspectors said it was failing to give pupils an acceptable education.

One parent said: “Everybody should know what’s going on.”

Joe Burns, Associate Headteacher at Winton Arts and Media College, said: “Four pupils were found smoking what is believed to have been cannabis in the college grounds. “These pupils have been excluded temporarily and police are investigating.

“We take these matters extremely seriously and a formal decision on the future of these pupils at the college will be reached next week.

“We take great care to educate our pupils about the dangers of drugs and have a zero tolerance policy.”

Head teacher Roger Allen was brought in after the report and promised parents in January that he would turn things around at the 850-pupil boys’ school in Winton Way.

Mr Allen, who is also head of Glenmoor, has seen results at the girls’ school rise by 20 per cent since he took the helm five years ago.

He has brought in a revised senior management team to Winton and timetabling has been altered. Mr Allen said traditional values will be the backbone of its recovery.

Ofsted inspectors discovered “uninteresting teaching” and an inconsistent approach to bad behaviour when they visited the school.

Mr Burns said a recent Ofsted inspection found the school was making progress in every area of concern.