Primary teachers strike over 'knives and assaults'

Staff at two primary schools in Greater Manchester have gone on strike over claims their reports of violence and daily assaults are being ignored by senior leadership.

Teachers at Lily Lane Primary School in Moston and Ravensfield Primary School in Dukinfield have walked out following claims that pupils have been biting and kicking staff, throwing furniture and, at Ravensfield, bringing knives to school.

One of the teachers told the BBC nothing is being done to protect children or staff and members of The Teachers' Union (NASUWT) are set to strike three days a week throughout January.

The Changing Lives in Collaboration (CLIC) Trust, which is responsible for managing both schools, said the safety and wellbeing of pupils and staff in all its schools was "of the very highest priority".

Jo Ashcroft, chief executive officer of the trust, said it respects the right of union members to strike but that it was "disappointing" they had done so when it had not had chance to respond to their concerns.

She said both schools would remain open throughout strike action.

Conor Priestley, 27, from Bury, joined Lily Lane primary last September, but by October half term he had resigned.

He left the school at the end of last term on 19 December.

Despite having been a teacher for five years, often working with children with complex needs, he said he was shocked at the behaviour he experienced at the school.

"I felt pretty prepared coming into the school, but I don't I think I was quite prepared for the frequent instances of violence," he said.

Priestley recalled a time where he intervened after a child had thrown a chair through a glass window, causing it to shatter.

"I was hoping that me being a new face in that situation would help," he said.

"It didn't, it led to a chair being thrown at me... and I ended up getting square kicked in the sternum."

By October half term, Priestley had handed in his resignation.

"There was nothing more that I felt I could do, and I felt like I was really failing in my job as a teacher because I was unable to really do anything," he said.

"I wanted to be able to go in every day and teach, and most of the time I felt more like I was managing a bad situation."

Since leaving the school, Priestley said while he has not been put off teaching completely, he has decided to take a break.

"I didn't leave because I didn't care," he said.

"I cared deeply about the welfare of the children that were in my care - I do worry a lot about about their welfare."

BBC Radio Manchester also spoke to current staff members from both schools who wanted to remain anonymous.

They said school leaders were refusing to acknowledge or resolve urgent issues around health and safety, safeguarding and wellbeing.

"It's daily assaults on staff," one teacher said.

"I've seen staff have the skin ripped off their hands, I've seen children with serious injuries being taken away in ambulances over fights... and children threatening to stab other children with no consequences.

"And not being believed by senior leadership when you report that."

Another said: "We've got children sat in class who are scared - children who have just been beaten up, and they're crying - and the child who's just beaten them up is returned to class five minutes later, having had a reward outside to calm them down."

"To be honest, if I didn't have a family I would have left already but I need the money unfortunately," they said.

A third teacher added: "Wellbeing is not considered as an important part of teachers 'lives and that impacts the students' lives every day.

"A knife was brought into our school earlier this year and that has not been dealt with in a way that staff feel safe to be in the building."

Rachel Knight, executive member for the NASUWT, raised concerns about the "devastating" working conditions at the schools.

"Alongside their physical injuries, teachers are suffering high levels of stress and anxiety which are affecting their entire lives," she said.

"All they want is to go to work in a safe environment and to be able to keep their pupils safe.

"Instead, they are subjected to contempt and negligence from leaders.

"Our teachers have taken the brave and necessary step of saying 'no more'."

Matt Wrack, General Secretary of NASUWT, has called on the trust to address concerns within the two schools.

"This cannot continue," he said.

"Not only are school and trust leaders failing in their basic duty of care, but they have gone as far as to intimidate and punish staff who report concerns."

Strike action at both schools is planned for 6-8, 13-15 January, and 20-22 January, the union said.

Picket lines at both schools are expected to take place at 08:45 GMT on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

In statement from the trust, Ashcroft said the trust had engaged the employment advice service ACAS to offer collective conciliation, which the union chose not to accept.

She said: "We work closely with every one of our schools to ensure they maintain the very highest safeguarding standards at all times.

"We also support our schools to ensure the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs are fully met.

"We remain keen to work in partnership with the NASUWT to discuss their members' concerns."

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