Teachers strike over pupil behaviour

Students at a Lincolnshire school have kicked classroom doors in, broken into vending machines and turn up to lessons "whenever they like", a teachers' union has claimed.

NASUWT said its members at Haven High Academy in Boston had walked out on strike, claiming senior management had failed to deal with "serious behavioural issues".

The union said extensive talks had failed to bring about "positive change".

Haven High Academy said it had "made clear" to NASUWT that it "remains open to discussing any issues".

Teachers on the picket line have told the BBC they "do not feel safe".

One teacher said: "I dread coming into work. I don’t feel safe.

"Walking down the corridor teachers are pushed, shoved and sworn at. It's not a pleasant place to work."

Another added: "I've been spat at and kicked probably half a dozen times in the last year. I spend more time protecting myself and students than teaching."

Bradley Wall, from the union, said: "This is not just teachers being selfish, this is teachers wanting their school to be a better place.

"Education is currently in a recruitment and retention crisis and these teachers could very easily go elsewhere."

Last year, the BBC told how students at the school had planned and filmed fights for social media.

Aušra Marcinkevičiūtė, who withdrew her daughter from the school in July 2023, said the latest headlines were the result of historical issues.

She said: "When my daughter was at the school I raised concerns, but because it was only about student safety it was not addressed.

"But now teachers don’t feel safe – so they are striking. The teachers created this problem by not addressing fights in the first place and now it’s out of hand."

Representatives from the NASUWT said further strike action had been planned over the next two weeks.

A spokesperson for Haven High Academy said: "Although we have made clear to NASUWT representatives that we remain open to discussing any issues, they have not raised specific concerns about staff feeling vulnerable.

"We pride ourselves on being a very open and approachable organisation, and feedback from staff matters hugely to us.

"We’ve already taken a number of steps to address issues that have been raised with us – including a review of the whole behaviour policy which colleagues and union representatives contributed to."

Changes include additional CCTV cameras for areas not covered, adjusting its mobile phones policy, and senior leadership presence in corridors.

“We remain hopeful that further strike dates can be avoided and disruption to students’ education minimised,” the spokesperson added.

The academy is open to Year 11 students on 17 April, with all other year groups moving to a virtual timetable.

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