A HIGH-profile "three strikes and you're out" scheme, piloted at a Basingstoke school, has resulted in a massive drop in uncompleted homework.

As exclusively revealed in The Monday Gazette, pupils at Fort Hill Community School in Winklebury have faced a two-day suspension if they failed to hand in their homework on three occasions.

In the first week of the controversial trial scheme, which will run until the end of the current term, 25 children were suspended.

This figure compares with just six in the second week and only two in the third.

Since The Gazette story, news of the scheme has travelled far and wide - with Fort Hill headteacher Lesley Lawson (pictured above) even receiving a letter from Canada.

Mrs Lawson said: "I felt we needed a very tough measure because homework is such a big issue. It has certainly had an impact.

"The response from children and the vast majority of parents has been supportive.

"I have had a fantastic response from the public, and have received lots of e-mails and letters - even one from Canada saying it is brilliant."

Mrs Lawson said that children from the Fort Hill school council have now offered their feedback.

She said: "The school council understands there was a need for me to do something, because they accepted homework wasn't being done.

"They felt suspension was tough, but the reason we went down that route is because we needed some parents and children to take homework more seriously.

"We have raised the profile, and we can now find a way forward."

A new homework policy for the school, which has 550 pupils, will be implemented in January.

However, Mrs Lawson revealed that this might not be as strict as the pilot.

She said: "I hope I won't need to be as hard-line. Children have realised the importance of homework."