PARENTS told how their children have been targeted by bullies at a secondary school...after inspectors claimed staff were getting to grips with pupils’ behaviour.

Cecil Jones Academy, in Eastern Avenue, Southend, which is part of Legra Academy Trust, was praised by Ofsted this week for taking effective action to prevent and tackle bullying.

In their report, inspectors added that major incidents of poor behaviour have reduced since the academy joined the trust.

Parents have hit out at the report.

Madi Everitt, 30, from Rayleigh, who has a 12-year-old daughter at the school, said: “My daughter started there a month ago and has already been beaten up once and had threats from another girl who started there recently.

“They put the girl who repeatedly kneed my daughter to the face in half a day isolation then made my daughter and the girl talk to each other and hug it out.”

Another parent described how her 12-year-old son has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder after being targeted by a group 20 pupils in the playground, who kicked and punched him.

The mum, who asked not to be named, said: “He is too terrified to go to school and I am not happy with the way the school dealt with it.

“He had to go to A&E because he had hurt his wrist and he still has problems with it now, ten weeks on.”

Kelsey Sonn, 17, attended Cecil Jones in 2010 and said the bullying then was “horrendous.”

She said: “I got beaten up, chairs and tables thrown at me, name calling you name it.”

Bev Williams, chief executive of the trust, insisted steps are being taken to address parents’ concerns.

She said: “We are on a journey and we know we are on a journey. We are making a real impact which has been recognised by Ofsted and the Department for Education.

“There is visible and tangible results with what we are doing.”

She added the academy looks at the “whole child” when they misbehave to ensure the cause of the problem is tackled.