Pupils' behaviour sparks teachers' two-day strike

Parents at a school where teachers have staged a two-day strike over pupil behaviour say some students are "throwing items around classrooms".

Nine out of 70 teachers at Hanham Woods Academy, in South Gloucestershire, started the strike on Monday, following protests last week and and last year.

Parents and carers of children at the school were told on Sunday, the day before the strike, it would go ahead despite asking the National Education Union to pause action.

A school spokesperson said: "Our priority remains to ensure a safe, consistent environment for staff and students and to minimise disruption to pupils' education.

A parent, who did not want to be named, said: "It has been especially bad in Year 10, with the same individuals consistently showing disruptive and physically negative behaviours towards students and often teachers."

The parent added items are "being thrown around classrooms".

They said: "Although my son is in Year 10, and not affected by these strikes, he's been seriously affected by the terrible behaviour issues and lack of discipline at Hanham Woods which has been ongoing for the last few years.

"I believe the strikes are around the lack of support for teachers in implementing sanctions and trying to control the disruptive behaviours.

"Nothing seemingly happening to change this, so am in full support of the teachers and the new head who seems to be trying to make changes to counteract these behaviours."

The school said it was continuing "to focus on delivering practical improvements and engaging positively with staff".

In the letter sent to parents and carers by Kath Cooper, the school's senior principal, she said she "set out a structured and constructive approach to resolving the current situation" to the union at a meeting on Friday.

The letter said, on Monday, Years 7 and 9 pupils would attend school, while Year 8 pupils would learn from home, with Year 10 students taking mock GCSE exams to return home after tests took place.

On Tuesday, the letter said Year 7 pupils would work from home, and Year 8 and 9 pupils would attend school. Again, Year 10 students taking mock GCSE exams would return home after their tests.

Ann Oliver, a parent of a child who attends the school, said: "It's affecting them [my child] because they're doing their mock GCSEs.

"They've been studying for a long time doing it. It's sad. It's a lot of pressure.

"Beforehand, they didn't know if they were striking or not striking. It's a lot of pressure on the children, and they need guidance at that age.

"Teachers deserve more pay and more authority to discipline the children a little bit."

The school added: "We remain committed to working constructively with NEU representatives to resolve the current industrial dispute.

"Following a meeting on Friday, we asked the union to pause planned strike action on 22 and 23 June to support further progress. We did not receive a response.

"Our priority remains to ensure a safe, consistent environment for staff and students and to minimise disruption to pupils' education.

"We continue to focus on delivering practical improvements and engaging positively with staff."

Ted Powell, from the National Education Union, said: "We think that teachers shouldn't be teaching outside of their specialist subjects. That does affect behaviour as well.

"We want all of the teaching assistant HLTAs [higher-level teaching assistants] to be on fixed-term contracts.

"We want to make sure that management then is following the behaviour policy at the same time."

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.