By Gavin Mackintosh-
Teachers at a troubled secondary school in Kent are striking over staff safety issues following numerous incidents of pupil threats and violence.
Staff were on the picket line outside both Oasis Academy sites on the Isle of Sheppey this morning amid claims their safety is being put at risk by ongoing behaviour issues Academy, on Sheppey, .
They are taking “unavoidable” strike action at both of the school’s sites tomorrow, The Eye Of Media.Com has heard.
Recent escalation in violent incidents prompted the NEU to call for a “zero-tolerance” approach and fixed exclusion tariffs for assaults and threats against staff and pupils, representatives of the school said.
Oasis Community Learning expressed regret over the situation, emphasizing their commitment to providing high-quality education.
A spokesperson for Oasis said online study materials would be provided for pupils during the strike to minimize disruption.
But the Academy did not respond to questions by this publication as to why it felt the behaviour of students had become so poor.
Representatives of the Academy have said they will respond to our queries.
Research of teenagers in UK schools show that not all pupils are responsible enough to engage with their school work on line, without some overseeing force present. Strike at school that disrupts lessons are often seen as time off by many students.
Committed and dedicated students are expected to still follow up their work online, but those that need a classroom framework to function may have to miss out on a few days of teaching.
The academy remains hopeful of positive discussions with the union and expressed confidence in making significant progress.
The strike at Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey reflects broader concerns about pupil behavior in schools, but comes as a surprise 12 months after a favourable Ofsted report that made no reference to pupil behaviour as a problem.
There have been questions about the efficacy of Ofsted Inspections in always spotting bad behaviour in schools, especially on the occasions schools are aware of the visit for the inspection.
The Academy was asked by The Eye Of Media.Com to please detail the extent of the threats they encountered from students, and what they would like to see done to address the problem.
The government’s first national behavior survey, published in June, highlighted an average of six minutes per half-hour class eaten up by poor behavior, amounting to 50 minutes a day.
The reason why students misbehave to the extent of issuing physical threats to their teachers is a relevant inquiry to the wayward state of affairs at this school.
Only last year, the school was described by Ofsted as beinhg strong in safeguarding, and having a culture of good behaviour.
Inspectors at the time found that school leaders had set out an ambitious curriculum for pupils at the school.
Most subject leaders have thought in detail about what pupils learn and the order in which they learn it.
The report said that’ in mathematics, pupils develop their problem-solving skills systematically through Years 7 to 9, in preparation for GCSE.
It added that’ in English, pupils build an increasingly complex knowledge of vocabulary and sentence structures over time.
The behaviour of pupils can be distinctly different from their academic strengths, although academically weak pupils are generally more likely to also be badly behaved or play truancy in schools.
Although Teacher Tapp data indicated a slight decrease in recent lesson disruptions due to poor behavior, 71% of teachers reported a deterioration in pupil behavior since 2018.
The NEU’s motion in 2021 calling for a fully inclusive and properly funded education service also emphasized a “moratorium on exclusions in the wake of the pandemic.”
The balance between ensuring a safe environment and avoiding exclusions remains a complex challenge for educators and policymakers alike.
Many schools have a stringent framework that deals with the behaviour of their pupils. Others struggle to establish the standard of behaviour they can tolerate.
The outcome of ongoing discussions and future actions at Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey will likely contribute to the ongoing debate surrounding pupil behavior and teacher safety in UK schools.