A teaching union in the East says staff will leave the profession unless treated with respect
Strikes continue at Westbourne Academy in Ipswich, with staff raising concerns over pupil behaviour
A union says staff at a school in Ipswich are striking due to growing concerns about student behaviour, which includes violence, classroom disruption, and mental strain on teachers.
Darren Smith is the Senior Regional Officer for the National Education Union, he told us issues at Westbourne Academy have been ongoing for nearly a year, despite repeated talks with the school.
“I was contacted firstly June last year by the representatives there because they were unhappy about the way poor studen behaviour was being managed within the school,” he said. “The expectations weren’t being done to the quality and the consistency that members needed locally.”
Since then, strike action has followed, with staff saying they’ve had enough.
"There’ve been a number of teachers who have left who had been in school for a decade or longer… they've gone"
We asked Mr Smith to described some of the behaviour teachers are facing having heard teachers and have faced threatening from some pupils.
“It ranges right up to violent responses to being asked to do things, banging on the windows, coming into the class, dragging out mates, disruption within the classroom that impacts upon the rest of the individual students.”
He says it’s affecting mental health and causing some teachers to leave altogether:
“It stops them doing the job, they've got anxiety about going to work because they’re not sure what the day is gonna bring them. There’ve been a number of teachers who have left who had been in school for a decade or longer… they've gone.”
While he acknowledges wider social issues are at play, Mr Smith believes local leadership also contribute.
“There’s a school behind the school, it's in same catchment area, it has the same families and they haven’t had these problems. Some of this is down to local management and the need to ensure that the processes are done consistently in order to get the cultural changes embedded in school.”
What changes they want to see
We asked Mr Smith what the teachers want to see in order to improve the situation. He says two key changes would make a big difference:
“One, where a teacher calls for a student to be taken out, there's no questions asked — it happens… The other is to have a higher profile of managers in the corridors throughout the school.”
Mr Smith warns if nothing changes, there’ll be long-term consequences for pupils:
“More teachers will leave. Children wont receive the education they need and that can only worsen.”
The union is due to meet with the school’s trust this Friday. Strike action is planned again next week if progress isn’t made.
“We’ve been given assurances… If members locally see those steps being put in place, then they’ll not need to take further strike action. If they don’t… then currently strike action is planned for next week.”
He added there’s been “really good levels of support… not just from the parents but also from the people involved — because they’re the people at the moment alongside our members who are impacted by that poor behaviour.”
What the school says
We reached out to the Academy Transformation Trust said who manage the school about this ongoing issue.
“We care deeply about the wellbeing of our staff and pupils, and we fully recognise the challenges that exist at Westbourne Academy. That’s why improving pupil behaviour is our top priority.
Following Ofsted’s visit in June 2024, which rated Westbourne as a Good school overall, we have acted with pace and purpose to respond to their feedback regarding the behaviour of a minority of pupils. This includes providing additional staffing and strengthening leadership. We are currently planning out a new approach to manage pupil conduct and how pupils are organised within the school, which will start after half term. This is all aimed at creating a calmer, more focused environment for learning for all.
We are working closely and constructively with union representatives to understand concerns and to support all colleagues as we continue this important work. We are committed to achieving lasting improvement while minimising any disruption to pupils — especially during this crucial exam period.”