Teachers grappling with surge in pupil violence as students ‘throw objects, cut car brakes and smash windscreens’

'Children now receive less support than they used to, staff have no time to deal with issues, hence an increase in anxious students lashing out'

Most secondary schools are now academies (iStock)

Teachers have had heavy objects thrown at them by violent pupils, and have had their car brakes cut and their windscreens smashed, an education union has heard.

School staff are increasingly not reporting assaults on them and their colleagues as they believe it is just “accepted and expected”, the ATL section of the National Education Union (NEU) said.

Delegates at the union’s annual conference in Liverpool raised concerns about growing levels of aggression and violence which, they claim, has “increasingly found its way into schools”.

Peter Shreeve, from the Isle of Wight, said he was “personally aware” of objects being thrown, heavy objects being slammed into bodies, and spitting.

He had also heard of “car brakes being cut and a back windscreen being smashed” on a home drive.

Mr Shreeve added: “In my experience staff are often reluctant to report violence. Some believe it’s part of the job and being assaulted is accepted and expected. Some think reporting is not worthwhile, as there are no consequences or management is reluctant to act.”

The motion – which noted that free schools and academies have no legal responsibility to report incidences of violence behaviour – called for all schools to report centrally at a local level.

“We’re calling for a reverse of austerity. Children now receive less support than they used to, staff have no time to deal with issues, hence an increase in anxious students lashing out,” Mr Shreeve said.

The NEU passed the motion which called on the union’s executive to investigate how violent behaviour is reported and collated and to encourage members to report acts of violence.

Emma Quinn, from Northern Ireland, described her school – which has a high number of pupils with special educational needs – as “hell” at times because of violence and aggression.

Corrie Rayner, who works as a science technician in an academy, said she had been pushed and tripped up by a group of students. “Luckily, I was not delivering a tray of acid to the lab,” she said.

She was also “mock headbutted”m Ms Rayner added: “You may say that these are only minor examples of the kind of aggression and violence that has increasingly found its way into our schools.

“There are far more shocking cases of violence towards school staff including fatalities. Support staff are an easy target because we are often viewed as less important.”