Schools accused of ‘toxic culture’ towards students

A leading school academy trust is being accused of fostering a “toxic culture” towards its pupils.

Over 150 current and former pupils, parents, former teachers and professionals have shared their experiences of Mossbourne Federation Schools in Hackney, East London.

The allegations span two decades, including claims that teachers routinely yelled at pupils for minor mistakes, with “public shaming” being common.

A spokesperson for Mossbourne Federation said it was being targeted by a “harassment campaign” and that it offered a safe learning environment for all its pupils, as shown by positive Ofsted reports and local authority reviews.

The federation runs two primaries, two secondaries and a sixth form, which is attended by approximately 3,500 students in total.

Many of the complaints relate to the treatment of pupils at two secondary schools – Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy (MVPA) and Mossbourne Community Academy (MCA).

Current and former students and parents have described an environment in which fear and intimidation were used to enforce strict discipline and achieve strong academic results, including a lack of adequate support for students struggling with their mental health. Was.

The environment was described as harsh punishments, toilet restrictions and a “no excuses” approach. This reportedly disproportionately affected people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Testimony described widespread safety failures in schools and a culture of silencing or dismissing parents’ concerns.

Teachers have told BBC London:

• He was asked to instill a “healthy fear” in students and went on a training course to learn how to do this.
• He was encouraged to scare and yell at students because it would “benefit their education”.
• He was dismissed for not punishing the students
• He faced various mental health problems after teaching in school

Former students have said:

• There was racial prejudice against ethnic minority students, particularly regarding their hairstyles.
• One said she was detained because a teacher “didn’t like my hair.”
• Issues and complaints raised about racism were ignored
• Teachers yelled at students to their faces and humiliated them in front of their peers
• Teachers intimidated students and ignored parents’ complaints

It said its schools were “proactive in engaging with parents and the community to address concerns”, it offered regular parent surgeries and clear routes to raise complaints and it “proactively supported any parents or encouraged the member of staff to raise concerns directly with us”.

“Our academies have more than double the national average number of students with education, health and care plans (EHCPs), and consistently receive the highest proportion of consultations for students with an EHCP. This data is a testament to our efforts to engage and support students. Shows commitment.

“Attendance rates for all pupils, including disadvantaged and disadvantaged pupils, are well above the national average. This shows that these pupils feel safe and supported in the school environment.”

Responding to claims of racial bias towards pupils, the federation said: “Our schools pride themselves on being welcoming and inclusive of all our students and so we categorically deny these allegations of racism made against our staff. We do.

“In addition, we promote a supportive family culture within the Mossbourne Federation and we actively reject discrimination of any kind at our academies.”

It added that “There have been a number of complaints about hairstyles over the years and all have been dealt with appropriately. Our policy has been reviewed and developed.”

On allegations of teachers yelling at students, it said, “It is acknowledged that teachers may sometimes use a loud voice to ensure a focused and safe learning environment. However, it is not uncommon for teachers to yell at students, or There is no evidence to support claims of verbal abuse.”

MVPA alumnus Atiya said she started out at the academy being “creative and happy” but left in 2020 with “social anxiety.”

He told BBC London that the behavior by some teachers amounted to bullying, including regular, excessive punishment.

“When I was 7 or 8, my parents couldn’t come to parents’ evening, so I was locked up in the behavior support unit for a week,” she said.

“I was isolated. I felt like I was to blame but it was out of my control.”

Her account is one of more than 150 collected by a campaign group made up of parents and local councillors, who are urging improvements to Mossbourne schools.

A group of about 30 parents first came together to share their concerns about the school’s treatment of their children with the Observer newspaperSince then, they have seen an uptick in responses.

A dossier compiled by the campaign group, Educating Hackney, details anonymous accounts from parents, former and current pupils, former staff members and education professionals.

BBC London has spoken to 12 people whose testimony is included in the document, including former MCA student Isaac.

Standing outside the school while being interviewed by BBC News, He said that four years after leaving he still has nightmares and “can still hear the kids yelling at the kids”.

The 20-year-old, who is now at university, said teachers would punish excessively over small things.

He recalled, “One of the punishments I could get in school was to sit on my knees for half an hour because the boy behind me was messing with my chair.”

“It scratched the skin on my knees,” he said, adding that it was a “humiliating feeling”.

“There was a really toxic culture where there was a lot of aggression toward students, a lot of shaming and isolation.”

Isaacs, who did not want his surname published, said it is a “daily occurrence” to hear teachers “utterly angry” at pupils, including 12 and 13-year-olds.

He left school with top grades but questioned whether it was worth it because of the impact on his mental health.

A Mossbourne Federation spokesman said it was taking all claims with the “extreme seriousness”.

The MCA website says: “Impeccable student behavior is achieved because our expectations are communicated clearly and regularly. There is no ambiguity about our expectations and our students feel safe.”

Andy Leary-May, who withdrew one of his sons from the MVPA, is among the parents leading the Educating Hackney group.

He said that as far as he knew, his older son was happy in school until age 10, when he was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mr Leary-May said the school had been inflexible in meeting his son’s needs.

She said she had asked the school to allow her son scheduled recess for the entire school day, but instead she was told her son would need a half day off and one day off a week.

He told BBC News: “I would try and say, ‘It’s not working for him, it’s really not working for him’ and it didn’t matter what I said.

“It was really made clear that this was what was going to happen.”

After removing her son from the school, she discovered that dozens of other parents at Mossbourne schools spanning nearly two decades had similar complaints.

Mr Leary-May said he began collecting anonymous accounts and sharing information with Ofsted, the Department for Education (DfE) and Hackney Council.

His younger son still goes to school, mainly because he did not want to leave his friends.

“I don’t want the school to close at all,” Mr Leary-May said.

In response, the federation said: “It is important to consider the context of these allegations. The father leading this campaign has repeatedly refused to engage in the MVPA’s formal complaints process, including offers of mediation.

“She has also enrolled her young child in MVPA, which raises questions about the sincerity of her concerns.”

A Mossbourne Federation spokesperson said the welfare of students was “paramount” and that the issues raised by parents were taken seriously and fully investigated.

He added: “We have also had external reviews by Ofsted and the local authority – none of which raised any concerns.”

The federation said it had tried to join the Educating Hackney campaign and that its staff were “disturbed by the clearly disturbing nature of the allegations”.

Was listed by MCA This week’s Sunday Times Ranked as the 15th best state school in the UK.

A former secondary teacher employed by the Mossbourne Federation, who asked to remain anonymous, said BBC News staff were given training called “healthy fear”.

“The purpose of this is to scare kids enough to do what they’re supposed to do,” he said.

“Children need discipline but this was done in a way that I don’t feel is appropriate.”

He said that while the schools had good teachers, they were forced to leave because of a “culture of fear” that made the work environment resemble “the wolf of Wall Street”.

“There would be children and teachers crying in the corridors,” he said. “Teachers were encouraged to report other teachers for not doing the right thing.”

A spokesperson for the federation said staff training in its schools had maintained a “positive school culture”.

Hackney councilor Penny Routt, who is part of the Educating Hackney group, said she raised concerns about Mossbourne Federation schools a year ago and it had been “passed around from one authority to another”.

He has called for the council to conduct a security review based on the testimony collected.

Antoinette Bramble, the council’s cabinet member for education, said: “We take the safeguarding responsibilities of the council and all our schools seriously, and we expect everyone who works with children and young people to treat them with respect, kindness and Will behave with the professionalism they deserve.”

She said the council had worked with the DfE, Ofsted, the Mossbourne Federation and the Independent Safeguarding Children Commissioner.

Ms Bramble said there would be a multi-agency meeting to discuss next steps.

A DfE spokesperson said: “These allegations are extremely disturbing.

“We are clear that schools must be a safe and supportive environment where every child, including those with disabilities, can achieve and thrive.

“We are working urgently with the local authority and Mossbourne Federation to establish the facts and any necessary action.”

The federation said no concerns had been raised in previous Ofsted reports. MCA’s 2021 Ofsted report, which gave it an “outstanding” rating, says: “The demand for rules and routines ensures that learning is front and center at all times.”

“We are committed to providing a high-quality education for all students in a safe and supportive environment,” the federation told BBC London.

“We are confident that the extensive external scrutiny, strong academic results and high attendance rates demonstrate the reality of our thriving and inclusive schools.”