Teachers strike over ‘poor management’

Around 70 teachers picketed outside Darwen Vale High School claiming that management had failed to back up disciplinary action taken against unruly pupils.

Members of both the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) had voted overwhelmingly for the one-day strike action.

The NUT told Channel 4 News that Darwen Vale is a “good school with a majority of good children.” It says the school’s behavioural procedures appear to have not been followed by senior staff members and that the head refused to properly communicate with staff and the union.

The school does not have a problem with pupil violence. Avis Gilmore, NUT

“Once a pupil continues to be disruptive the school refers them to senior staff and senior staff appear to be overruling the teachers and not doing what they are supposed to under the behaviour policy,” Spokeswoman Avis Gilmore said.

“We have been seeking clarification from the head about these issues but she has obstructed our requests,” she continued.

“The school does not have a problem with pupil violence,” she added.

This is not a strike against pupils. It is about management. Simon Jones, NUT

Darwen Council would not comment over allegations that a number of teachers have been suspended from the school since the new headteacher Hilary Torpey was introduced.

National executive member for the NUT Simon Jones said: “Staff and unions have been raising concerns for the last two terms but the head has rejected repeated requests for earlier meetings to try to resolve this dispute informally.”

“This is not a strike against pupils. It is about management, and management failure to support staff in dealing with challenging behaviour.”

No one wants to demonise the children here, they are no better or no worse than any other.

“The biggest difference between this school and other schools is the management failure to support staff,” he added.

Unions say staff complaints include teachers being shoved and verbally abused, and inappropriate mobile phone clips being posted on Facebook. There are also reported to have been problems of cyber-bullying and pornography.

But inspectors who visited Darwen Vale last June said the behaviour of its 1,150 pupils was “good” and that the school was performing well.

Harry Devonport, director of education at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, suggested the teachers had been hasty in going out on strike.

He said: “I am very disappointed that, so quickly, teachers have felt the need to take strike action… The council is working hard to bring the leadership of the school, together with the unions, to clarify what needs to be done.”

On Monday, Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, reminded teachers that, in extreme circumstances, headteachers could press criminal charges against pupils.