POOLE Grammar’s head teacher blamed pupils for James Randall’s outburst and said they had “set him up.”

Andy Baker said he was “appalled “ that someone had contacted the Daily Echo and added: “I am appalled that someone has taped a member of staff.

“I think teachers are in a really vulnerable position where pupils are misusing phones in order to catch teachers out.

“This is a member of staff being set up by the kids. This is one of the reasons why we have our mobile phone policy.”

He said he would have hoped that a concerned parent would contact the school before speaking to the media and added: “I am really appalled.”

Mr Baker went on: “Having listened to the illicit recording of my colleague, I think most parents, members of the community and indeed students will be delighted that we are upholding high expectations of behaviour in our students, and follow up cases where students behave with disrespect towards staff and waste learning time.

“Young people learn how to behave by being held accountable for their actions, and it will have done them no harm in knowing how disappointed the teacher is with their behaviour.

“I am very concerned that this recording was made by a student as what seems to be a deliberate attempt to undermine a teacher, and to bring the school into disrepute. I and my colleagues are very concerned at such a clear breach of trust between a student and their teacher.

“I am also very concerned that the recording was passed on to the local press, rather than being raised with the school in the first instance. This action can only be intended to deliberately undermine the school and more specifically a teacher who had just returned from an educational visit where he was in effect on call 24 hours a day for five days. It is a very poor reward for his commitment to his students.”

Just last month the school hit the headlines after confiscating a 15-year-old boy’s mobile phone for a week.

Staff at the school refused to allow the pupil to have his phone back for use during the evenings or over a weekend.

The boy had been found playing a game on his phone under the stairs at school despite a strict policy which does not allow gaming on school premises.

The story sparked a long debate among Echo online readers with some supporting head teacher Andy Baker and others criticising him.

Poole Grammar, in Gravel Hill, was graded as Good by Ofsted in January this year after a previous rating of Requires Improvement in 2015.

It is a selective, all boys school and has around 1,200 pupils. It is part of the South West Academies Trust.

Inspectors said Mr Baker has “successfully changed the culture of the school by asking staff at all levels to reflect on their practice.”

They said pupils conduct themselves in a sensible manner around school and in lessons and added: “They have good relationships with each other and with staff.”