Strict school rules contributed to 15-year-old's death - Coroner

Strict rules at Ivybridge Community College "contributed" to the suicide of a 15-year-old boy and "there is a risk of future deaths" according to an inquest. 

Warning: this story contains references to suicide and self-harm.

BBC News has reported that an inquest at Exeter Coroner's Court heard that Taylor Lee, 15, a pupil at Ivybridge Community College (ICC), part of Westcountry Schools Trust, took his own life in November 2023.

Read the full report from BBC News here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/TaylorLeeInquest 

The BBC News report states: "Area coroner Alison Longhorn ruled the cause of Lee's death was suicide, but also concluded he struggled with what he perceived as unfair school sanctions.

"Longhorn is preparing a rare Prevention of Future Deaths report. These are made when a coroner identifies circumstances which create a risk of future deaths.

"The report will require action to be taken to prevent harm."

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Taylor died weeks after his posted publicly about the introduction of new rules at ICC, including rules about being put in "reset", "reflection" and "isolation" for being late to lessons. 

Taylor wrote: "I have very strong views on the school itself due to, not only the mental health issues it has caused me, but also the un-logical system it has in place.

"I'm a Year 11 and I've sat through from Year 7 and watched the school change dramatically, and I think this is the worst I've ever seen it.

"On the second day back after being sent to reflection for being 47 seconds late to tutor... What they are doing to us inhumane... I, as a student alone, am sick of waking up every day and dreading it."

According to the BBC report, the inquest heard from PC Tonice Edkins, a Devon and Cornwall Police school liaison officer who had been working with Taylor. 

PC Edkins is quoted as saying that Taylor had "fragile mental health", and that most of his stress and anxiety were due to "managing the stricter rules".

Despite being on the Special Educational Needs (SEND) register, Taylor was not given discretion if he was late to lessons and PC Edkins told the court that Taylor felt like he was being "set up to fail". 

Edkins told the court she had raised concerns with the school, sharing fears that some children we feeling "shamed" by multiple sanctions, and this could lead to them feeling "not good enough" and "worth less than others". 

PC Edkins said that as far they were aware "no arrangements were made to help Taylor in the stricter school environment". 

The inquest heard his parents found him unconscious in his bedroom. He died on 18 November 2023.

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The report goes on to quote Area coroner Alison Longhorn saying that there was overwhelming evidence [Taylor] struggled with the change in the rules and his experience at school 'more than minimally contributed to his mental deterioration'.

She said she "would be making a Prevention of Future Deaths report because Ivybridge Community College did not consider the impact of stricter rules on students like Lee, and had not changed its behaviour policy since his death".

A spokesperson for Westcountry Schools Trust told the BBC it would be "closely studying" the coroner's report.

It described Taylor Lee's death as "tragic" and said his loss was felt across the school community.

It said: "Over the past three years, the school's approach to safeguarding and behaviour has been inspected both by Ofsted and the local authority and has been deemed to meet all the required standards.

"However, neither the school nor the trust are complacent on such issues and amendments will be kept under careful review as a result of the coroner's report.

"We will be closely studying the coroner's report into the tragic death of Taylor Lee, which is still felt across the school community three years on."

We contacted Ivybridge Community College directly, as well as all other secondary schools in the South Hams for any response to the inquest and the future Prevention of Future Deaths report, but they have not responded. If this changes, we will update this story. 

Read the full report from BBC News here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/TaylorLeeInquest 

File on 4 Investigates did a report on whether stricter rules in secondary schools were going too far in July 2026: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/strictschools:takingdisciplinetoofar?