Latest news with #WestbourneAcademy
BBC News
23-07-2025
- BBC News
Westbourne Academy in Ipswich gets 'inadequate' Ofsted ratings
A school where teachers went on strike over poor pupil behaviour has been rated as inadequate in all categories by May staff at Westbourne Academy in Ipswich walked out in protest at children's behaviour after they said chairs and scissors were thrown at inspectors, who visited in June, said learning was "frequently interrupted by the poor behaviour of some pupils" and rated the school inadequate in four key Transformation Trust (ATT), which manages the school, said it had already identified challenges raised by Ofsted and accepted their seriousness. The school had previously been rated as good after an inspection last April, the government announced it was scrapping the old one- or two-word overall judgements ahead of a new rating system, to be introduced in the this year's inspection, the school was rated inadequate in the following areas:Quality of educationBehaviour and attitudesPersonal developmentLeadership and managementThe school's safeguarding arrangements were considered "effective". 'Derogatory language' Inspectors said the poor behaviour came from a "minority" of students, but it could be intimidating to other pupils and staff making them "nervous and unsettled".Some pupils used "derogatory language" linked to race, ethnicity, gender and sexual had become "normalised", meaning incidents were not frequently reported."When they are reported, staff respond appropriately," the report said. "However, the school is not taking effective action to address this issue. As a result, some pupils are not developing the respect and tolerance needed to live and work in a diverse society." Ofsted said the school had not established a "consistent or effective approach to managing" the issue and while it was aware of its challenges and had taken some steps, they had "not had the intended impact" with staff morale not directly mentioned in Ofsted's report as having an impact, the school had hired a new vice principal for behaviour and pastoral care to address the issues highlighted included low pupil attendance rates, which showed "little sign of sustained improvement" and provision issues for students who struggled to read and Send (special educational needs and diability) highlighted most students were "polite, friendly and work hard" and where behaviour was settled, pupils benefitted from "warm and positive relationships with staff". The report praised the "well-structured" curriculum and said many teachers were "skilled" in delivering it. A spokesperson for ATT said the positives raised were "vital foundations" it would continue to build it did not accept Ofsted's view that it lacked capacity to improve."The inspection offers a limited snapshot - two days in the life of a complex school," they said."Our knowledge of Westbourne is far deeper, built over more than a decade of partnership with its staff, leaders and community. "We are confident in our understanding of the school's challenges and in our ability to deliver sustained improvement." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Times
25-05-2025
- Times
Teachers going on strike over pupils acting like ‘feral cats'
For ten years, Jorge Pashler loved being a science teacher at a comprehensive school in a deprived suburb of Ipswich not far from where he grew up. But the Cambridge University graduate is reluctantly leaving Westbourne Academy for another school in July following persistent abusive and disruptive behaviour from pupils. 'You get quite a few classes where the respectful relationship that existed in the past has broken down. As much as you disliked your teacher, you would still call them Sir and you wouldn't swear at them,' Pashler, 32, said. 'You feel like you put a lot of effort in and there are some amazing kids here, but you go home and you feel a bit rubbish. I've had enough of going home and feeling sad.' Last week, he and 50 colleagues at Westbourne Academy took the unusual step of going on strike over pupils' poor behaviour, which included swearing at teachers, throwing chairs, posting offensive videos of staff on social media, making homophobic and sexist comments, and disrupting lessons. On Monday teachers at a school in Liverpool also started strike action because of 'dangerous pupil behaviour'. In January, teachers at a school in Scotland threatened to walk out, saying they regularly faced swearing and violence. Staff at a school in Wales went on strike for two days last October. A survey of 5,800 teachers across the country last month found that more than 80 per cent say pupil behaviour has worsened in the past year. Twenty per cent have been hit or punched by pupils and 25 per cent suffer verbal abuse several times a week, the union NASUWT found. The problems at Westbourne Academy, a co-educational secondary school, first emerged two years ago. It has 1,063 pupils, a third of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and its GCSE pass rate for English and maths was 54 per cent in 2023, lower than the national average of 65 per cent. The flat-roofed, red-brick school is surrounded by small, semi-detached houses in the residential area of Whitehouse, one of the most disadvantaged parts of Ipswich, where Year 6 obesity, school exclusions, depression and in-work poverty are prevalent, according to the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation. In Ipswich, lone-parent households and unemployment are higher than the national average. Every day, 40 pupils across all year groups run around the grounds, skipping lessons, banging on doors and dragging other children out of classrooms. 'They are just wandering around like feral cats and disrupting everyone else's learning,' Katherine Moore, a union representative from NASUWT, said outside the Westbourne Academy picket line on Wednesday. 'I was talking to a [teaching assistant] and there was some personal abuse about the colour of her hair, other [students] were being derogatory about LGBT people,' added Moore, who visited the school last Friday to plan for the strike and was greeted with pupils screaming in the corridor. 'The teachers told me that happens every day,' she said. The situation has deteriorated over the past 18 months, forcing unions to open talks with executives at the Academy Transformation Trust, which runs the school and 21 others across the country. After improvements failed to materialise, NASUWT and the National Education Union (NEU) announced strike action in April. Fifty of about 70 staff members were on strike for two days last week, according to the unions, forcing classes to be cancelled for students in Year 7, 8 and 9. Senior pupils still attended to sit exams. Further strike action has been paused after the Academy Transformation Trust appointed a new vice-principal and promised new measures, including pastoral care, to tackle troublesome students. 'I love being a teacher and I love this place. I didn't want to [strike],' said Helen Feakes, 52, who has taught science at Westbourne Academy for 15 years. But the problems, including regular verbal abuse, left her with no choice. Last week, students posted offensive videos on TikTok of Feakes and other teachers, criticising their appearance. Feakes and Pashler believe mobile phones and social media are partly to blame for the breakdown in behaviour. 'You ask [the students] what they are doing tonight and they say 'scroll TikTok',' Pashler said. 'You do see a rise in sexism and over the past ten years words that were buried in the past have started to come back again. 'Kids weren't really homophobic but that's coming up a lot now. It's bizarre because when I first joined it felt like the opposite, everyone was defending that, but now it has tribalised out.' While Pashler regularly stops classes to challenge pupils on their offensive comments, he faces an uphill battle. 'I don't think what we do for an hour a day, over a week, can change what people experience five hours a night on TikTok,' he said. Covid lockdowns and poverty are two other factors behind the crisis, Pashler said. During a recent school trip camping in Scotland, he arranged for the students to go to Pizza Express. It was the first time the majority of them had been to a restaurant or a motorway service station. 'There's not really those opportunities, so the kids do not leave home. They do not see that there's a world outside the streets of Ipswich,' Pashler said. In Merseyside, teachers at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) School were also on strike last week. Some pupils have been verbally and physically aggressive, including shoving pregnant members of staff, while misogynistic and homophobic remarks are common. The school has 595 pupils, a third of whom come from disadvantaged homes. It was set up by Sir Paul McCartney as a performing arts school in 1996 and more recently has been expanded into a primary and secondary school, both in the city centre. Bryan McConnell, 38, a union rep who is assisting the LIPA teachers in their dispute, said that online content — from social media to podcasts and Andrew Tate videos — had 'desensitised' young teenagers, especially boys, to offensive views. 'It's become more acceptable for younger age groups to have those views,' McConnell said. McConnell, a physics teacher at another school in Merseyside, said the wider collapse of trust in society was fuelling problems at schools across the country. 'Since Covid and the rise of conspiracy theories, that respect and listening to authority seems to have diminished massively,' he said. 'Kids are copying what they see from their parents and if those parents have lost respect for society — whether it is the government or the police — then that feeds into what the kids think.' McConnell said some schools had reported a rise in aggressive behaviour from parents at the school gates, with some having to enforce antisocial behaviour orders. 'We have completely lost, from a teaching point of view, that respect that we used to have from parents,' he added. Others clearly feel the same. Teachers at the 1,000-pupil Ysgol Nantgwyn in Tonypandy, south Wales, walked out for two days last October. And in January staff at Kirkintilloch High School in East Dunbartonshire pledged to do the same, claiming that pupils faced 'no consequences' for abuse and violent behaviour. Back in Ipswich, parents are widely supportive of the teachers' decision to strike, although some have expressed frustration at how a minority of pupils have been able to affect the education of the majority of well-behaved children. For Pashler, the decision to leave Westbourne Academy is bittersweet. 'I love being a teacher, it's just not nice at the moment,' he said. • Parents want phone ban in schools to improve classroom behaviour A spokeswoman for the Academy Transformation Trust said: 'We take the wellbeing of our staff very seriously, and we fully support their desire to teach in disruption-free classrooms. The majority of pupils at Westbourne behave well, are respectful and want to learn. But we acknowledge there is a small but significant minority whose behaviour does not yet meet our high expectations. We are actively addressing this.' A Department for Education spokeswoman said: 'As part of our Plan for Change, we are committed to turning the tide on poor behaviour, breaking down barriers to opportunity and ensuring every child can achieve and thrive. 'Our new attendance and behaviour hubs will directly target the schools with the highest need as well as providing wider support for schools in all corners of the country, and an additional 900,000 pupils will have access to support from mental health support teams by April 2026. 'But we know there is more to do and are looking closely at how we can go further to support teachers and drive high and rising school standards for all our children.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
'Teachers are having scissors thrown at them - we've had enough'
When Sophie Walker graduated and became a teacher 10 years ago, she felt excited for the future. But this week the science teacher walked out on strike with 50 colleagues at her Ipswich school in protest at pupil behaviour. Teachers at Westbourne Academy are having chairs and scissors thrown at them, and many are struggling with their mental health, Ms Walker says. Some students are refusing to attend lessons and are disrupting other classes, and even exams, she adds. "They go and collect other students from classes and roam around in large groups. They come in with no intention of attending any lessons." Ms Walker, a representative for the National Education Union (NEU), admits it has made her consider quitting both the school, and teaching altogether. "I'm only still here because of the students who want to learn. They deserve an education," she says. Another teacher, who asked to remain anonymous, says she resigned from the school, which has just over 1,000 pupils, after being pushed by students and sworn at more times than she can remember. The trust that runs the school acknowledges there is a "small but significant minority whose behaviour does not yet meet our high expectations" and says it is "actively addressing" this. Disruption is not dealt with consistently, according to several teachers, who say there is a lack of support from the senior leadership team. Marc Emmanuel, who has taught English there for 24 years and is also an NEU representative, says four very experienced teachers have left in the last year. While it is unusual for teachers to strike over pupil behaviour, he says it is a "last and desperate resort" to get some support. "Pupils are running down the corridors for up to five hours a day. It can be 30 to 40 of them. "They're kicking doors, throwing bottles full of water into classrooms and going into exam rooms and shouting. "It's not being adequately dealt with. We want robust systems put in place that are followed through. We need to address this to stop it from spreading further." Social media and mobile phones play a big part in the poor behaviour at Westbourne Academy, Ms Walker says. Students are not supposed to have phones in school but she says it is difficult to stop them. "They see these people on social media making a lot of money and they think they don't have to work hard," she says. "The content they are exposed to doesn't encourage good behaviour." The 31-year-old says she hopes the leadership team can start to communicate better and that staff, including the pastoral team, can be more consistent in handling poor behaviour. "We got a new principal in September and he is trying hard but things need to change quickly." Her mental health has recently been "at an all-time low", she says. "I've worked hard to get where I am and I don't want to walk away from the students who want to learn, but I don't know how much longer I can cope." One mother says smaller issues, such as with school uniform, are punished while bigger ones are often not dealt with. She says her son was attacked twice outside the school by older students and threatened with a knife. She was told it was being investigated but heard nothing back, she says. Yet she claims her other child at the school has been sanctioned for minor breaches of the rules. One father says he removed his autistic daughter from the school to home educate her after she was bullied and threatened with sexual violence. "The leadership took no accountability," he says. "They said they would do something about it but instead they made my daughter feel like she was in the wrong by putting her in a room on her own to learn. "They let the perpetrator get away with it." Some parents say they have lost all faith in the school. One father says the best teachers have left, with more due to leave in September. "It's absolutely diabolical. Relationships have broken down between teachers and students and the strike will not help build back trust," he says. "I have decided to move my daughter, who has special educational needs, to another school. She has been suspended several times for verbally lashing out but she can't regulate herself in that environment." He says he disagrees with the strike, finding it unfair that teachers are allowed to walk out while he would be fined if he took his children out of school. But other parents say they support the action and hope it leads to improved behaviour. Rebecca, 40, whose daughter attends the school, says she is "fully behind" the strike. "We had a period where she wouldn't go to her class because behaviour was so bad but she's happy going in now and that's all we can ask for," she says. "I don't blame the teachers for going on strike. They shouldn't be getting abused. Parents need to work alongside them to improve behaviour. "These pupils are pushing boundaries with how far they can push these teachers and it's not fair on those that want to learn." Some parents say they were shocked when the school was rated as "good" by Ofsted last summer. Inspectors noted the school "has not ensured that some pupils behave well enough around the school site and to a much lesser extent in lessons". But they said the Academy Transformation Trust, which runs the school, had taken "decisive action" to address "unacceptable standards of behaviour and internal truancy". Vic Goddard, who featured on TV show Educating Essex and runs a multi-academy trust of six schools in the county, says behaviour has declined in schools since the Covid pandemic. An increasing number of young people get into a "spiral of behaviour", he says. "As school leaders, our job is to support teachers to manage behaviour while allowing others to continue to learn, and that's where the battle is." He points out that current Year 9 and 10 students missed the start of Key Stage Two in primary school and were affected by the closure of Sure Start centres. He believes funding cuts to schools are also having an impact on behaviour. "Once you've recruited, you've got to retain. Because the only way you can improve your school is by keeping people in it," he says. In a statement, the trust says it takes the wellbeing of staff seriously, and supports their "desire to teach in disruption-free classrooms". Many parents are happy with the education, it adds, and says the trust is providing assistance to improve special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision and pastoral support. "The majority of pupils at Westbourne behave well, are respectful, and want to learn," it says. "But we acknowledge there is a small but significant minority whose behaviour does not yet meet our high expectations. We are actively addressing this. "We encourage any parent who feels unheard to get in touch directly — we want to work together to ensure every child at Westbourne thrives." A Department for Education spokesperson says it is "committed to turning the tide on poor behaviour" and that new regional improvement teams will work with schools to improve standards. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Teachers on strike over 'poor pupil behaviour' Department for Education NASUWT National Education Union Westbourne Academy
BBC News
17-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Ipswich teachers on strike after 'scissors thrown at them'
When Sophie Walker graduated and became a teacher 10 years ago, she felt excited for the this week the science teacher walked out on strike with 50 colleagues at her Ipswich school in protest at pupil at Westbourne Academy are having chairs and scissors thrown at them, and many are struggling with their mental health, Ms Walker students are refusing to attend lessons and are disrupting other classes, and even exams, she adds."They go and collect other students from classes and roam around in large groups. They come in with no intention of attending any lessons."Ms Walker, a representative for the National Education Union (NEU), admits it has made her consider quitting both the school, and teaching altogether."I'm only still here because of the students who want to learn. They deserve an education," she teacher, who asked to remain anonymous, says she resigned from the school, which has just over 1,000 pupils, after being pushed by students and sworn at more times than she can trust that runs the school acknowledges there is a "small but significant minority whose behaviour does not yet meet our high expectations" and says it is "actively addressing" this. 'Kicking doors and throwing water' Disruption is not dealt with consistently, according to several teachers, who say there is a lack of support from the senior leadership Emmanuel, who has taught English there for 24 years and is also an NEU representative, says four very experienced teachers have left in the last it is unusual for teachers to strike over pupil behaviour, he says it is a "last and desperate resort" to get some support."Pupils are running down the corridors for up to five hours a day. It can be 30 to 40 of them."They're kicking doors, throwing bottles full of water into classrooms and going into exam rooms and shouting."It's not being adequately dealt with. We want robust systems put in place that are followed through. We need to address this to stop it from spreading further." 'They think they don't have to work hard' Social media and mobile phones play a big part in the poor behaviour at Westbourne Academy, Ms Walker are not supposed to have phones in school but she says it is difficult to stop them."They see these people on social media making a lot of money and they think they don't have to work hard," she says."The content they are exposed to doesn't encourage good behaviour." The 31-year-old says she hopes the leadership team can start to communicate better and that staff, including the pastoral team, can be more consistent in handling poor behaviour."We got a new principal in September and he is trying hard but things need to change quickly."Her mental health has recently been "at an all-time low", she says. "I've worked hard to get where I am and I don't want to walk away from the students who want to learn, but I don't know how much longer I can cope." What do parents say? One mother says smaller issues, such as with school uniform, are punished while bigger ones are often not dealt says her son was attacked twice outside the school by older students and threatened with a was told it was being investigated but heard nothing back, she she claims her other child at the school has been sanctioned for minor breaches of the father says he removed his autistic daughter from the school to home educate her after she was bullied and threatened with sexual violence."The leadership took no accountability," he says."They said they would do something about it but instead they made my daughter feel like she was in the wrong by putting her in a room on her own to learn."They let the perpetrator get away with it." Some parents say they have lost all faith in the school. One father says the best teachers have left, with more due to leave in September."It's absolutely diabolical. Relationships have broken down between teachers and students and the strike will not help build back trust," he says."I have decided to move my daughter, who has special educational needs, to another school. She has been suspended several times for verbally lashing out but she can't regulate herself in that environment."He says he disagrees with the strike, finding it unfair that teachers are allowed to walk out while he would be fined if he took his children out of school. 'I don't blame the teachers' But other parents say they support the action and hope it leads to improved behaviour. Rebecca, 40, whose daughter attends the school, says she is "fully behind" the strike. "We had a period where she wouldn't go to her class because behaviour was so bad but she's happy going in now and that's all we can ask for," she says."I don't blame the teachers for going on strike. They shouldn't be getting abused. Parents need to work alongside them to improve behaviour."These pupils are pushing boundaries with how far they can push these teachers and it's not fair on those that want to learn." Some parents say they were shocked when the school was rated as "good" by Ofsted last noted the school "has not ensured that some pupils behave well enough around the school site and to a much lesser extent in lessons".But they said the Academy Transformation Trust, which runs the school, had taken "decisive action" to address "unacceptable standards of behaviour and internal truancy". 'Behaviour in schools has deteriorated' Vic Goddard, who featured on TV show Educating Essex and runs a multi-academy trust of six schools in the county, says behaviour has declined in schools since the Covid increasing number of young people get into a "spiral of behaviour", he says."As school leaders, our job is to support teachers to manage behaviour while allowing others to continue to learn, and that's where the battle is."He points out that current Year 9 and 10 students missed the start of Key Stage Two in primary school and were affected by the closure of Sure Start believes funding cuts to schools are also having an impact on behaviour."Once you've recruited, you've got to retain. Because the only way you can improve your school is by keeping people in it," he says. What do the school and the Department for Education say? In a statement, the trust says it takes the wellbeing of staff seriously, and supports their "desire to teach in disruption-free classrooms".Many parents are happy with the education, it adds, and says the trust is providing assistance to improve special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision and pastoral support."The majority of pupils at Westbourne behave well, are respectful, and want to learn," it says."But we acknowledge there is a small but significant minority whose behaviour does not yet meet our high expectations. We are actively addressing this."We encourage any parent who feels unheard to get in touch directly — we want to work together to ensure every child at Westbourne thrives." A Department for Education spokesperson says it is "committed to turning the tide on poor behaviour" and that new regional improvement teams will work with schools to improve standards. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Ipswich Westbourne teachers on strike over 'poor pupil behaviour'
Teachers at a secondary school have striked over poor student behaviour, their union representatives teachers at Westbourne Academy in Ipswich refused to work on Tuesday and said they would carry on their action on Wednesday, with further strike days planned for next National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) cited "untenable levels of classroom disruption" including pupils refusing to attend lessons and "roaming the school".A spokesperson for Academy Transformation Trust, which runs the school, said it "recognised the challenges" and was working with union representatives "to understand concerns and to support all colleagues". The school, which has about 1,000 pupils, said that learning would be moved online for Years 7, 8 and 9 on Tuesday and Wednesday. 'Teach safely' Explaining the reasons behind the strike action, the NASUWT said in a statement: "A large group of pupils at Westbourne Academy are refusing to attend lessons and instead choose to roam the school, disrupting other lessons and engaging in threatening behaviour towards staff and other pupils. "Teachers have sought help from school leadership but no plan has worked in practice, with teachers often waiting for most or all of their lessons for urgent assistance."It said its members at the school "just want to conduct their lessons in safety and peace". "They feel abandoned by school leaders and desperate for effective support."Members of the National Education Union have also taken strike a statement, the academy trust said: 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."It added the school was "committed to achieving lasting improvement while minimising any disruption to pupils". Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
