Parents of pupils at a secondary school where teachers are striking over poor student behaviour and a lack of action from school management say they feel their children are being let down. Teachers at Caldicot Comprehensive, represented by unions the NASUWT and NEU, held their first strike on Thursday, September 21 and will strike again on Thursday, September 28. Both strike days have forced the school to close.
Further strikes will be held on four days in October. Parents, including one who says her son is currently not in school due to bullying worries, have told WalesOnline they are supportive of the striking teachers, who they claim are not receiving support from the school authorities despite being “threatened” by some pupils. Some parents also claim weapons have been taken onto school property.
The NASUWT said talks with the school “in a bid to resolve ongoing concerns about the management of the school” have failed to settle matters. “The employer is failing to provide appropriate support to staff in dealing with violent and abusive behaviour,” a statement alleged. It added that what it called a lack of “sufficient progress in addressing adverse management practices” was “affecting the health, safety, and welfare” of teachers and other pupils.
In a ballot 85% of members voted to support strike action, the NASUWT said, while 92% voted to support action short of a strike. That action includes teachers refusing to teach pupils who “pose a risk to staff”. For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter.
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Matt Parsons, who has two daughters at the school in year 11 and year 9, accused Monmouthshire County Council and management at the school, including the school’s board of governors, of neglecting their duty to protect staff. “Monmouthshire council and the board of governors need to kick these kids out of the school,” he said. “My children and other children have lost too much time through no fault of their own through Covid and now they’re losing time at school because of this.
“You get really horrible children in all schools, but I've not heard of this happening elsewhere. Why is Caldicot different? Teachers have been being threatened at the school for a few months now and we’ve had no correspondence on the matter from the school or the council at all.
“The strikes are a last resort for the teachers to try and force change. As parents we also know that there is a particularly high turnover of teachers at the school which is also no good for the kids. My eldest spent much of the last academic year at the school without a physics teacher, and her physics grade was lower as a result. You have to ask, what is going on?” Other parents also said the school spent months trying to recruit a science teacher last year with no success and their children suffered academically as a result.
Leanne Phillips-Nepean, who has a son in year 11 at the school, said she wants to speak out to support striking teachers. “Some are upset with the teaching staff at the school but I am actually in full support of them and I know that they haven’t made this decision lightly,” Ms Phillips-Nepean, who is a teacher herself elsewhere, explained.
“The teachers at that school go above and beyond. My son is halfway through exams and he’s been offered revision sessions in the holidays and after school. The teachers really care and I know this (striking) will be breaking their hearts.
“They are simply not being listened to by the council and management at the school. Swift action is needed to remove these children. The issues my child tells me about are not unique to Caldicot, I’m a teacher and I travel around other schools and I see similar behaviour in other schools. The difference is teachers in other schools feel supported to deal with it.”
The day after teachers held their first strike at the school parents and guardians of pupils received letters informing them of the importance of 100% attendance. It followed an evening at the school where parents were also lectured on the importance of pupil attendance, WalesOnline understands. Some parents - including Heidi Harvey who has one child in year 11 at the school - were critical of the letter. “I have a son in year 11 at the school and I have younger ones ready to go to secondary school soon, but I don’t think I’ll be sending them to Caldicot at this rate, and we live close to the school so that’s a huge shame,” Ms Harvey said.
“To me it actually feels like the kids that are causing the issues have been rewarded for their behaviour with it coming to this (strikes). We have heard of children taking weapons into school and the teachers feel powerless when they’re being threatened. The day after the first strike day I received an email from the school highlighting the importance of 100% attendance. It felt like a real kick in the teeth. We’ve had meetings about the importance of attendance at school and yet the school management’s inaction has led to our children missing school.”
In a joint statement sent to WalesOnline by Neil Butler and Mark Morris, of the NASUWT, the union has accused school management of a "lack of will to resolve this dispute". They said: "NASUWT is disappointed that Caldicot School has decided to announce, ahead of talks, that the school will be closed on Thursday, September 28. The closing of the school shows a lack of will to resolve this dispute. NASUWT has given the school clear direction in how the school can avoid strike action and had hoped the talks would have confirmed a commitment from the school to address the issues our members have raised.
“The education of the vast majority of pupils education is suffering daily due the failure of the school’s management to support staff in dealing with behaviour issues. Governors need to engage with staff in order to set clear expectations and commitments on behaviour which would allow Teachers to teach.”
A spokesman for Monmouthshire council said: "We recognise that the behaviour of some pupils has been an issue in the school and that there have been incidents that have been challenging for students and staff members. We have the highest expectations for and of our learners, and are working to ensure these are maintained.
"We are disappointed that the NASUWT has taken the decision to go ahead with its industrial action at Caldicot School and recognise that this action, close to the start of term, continues to cause concern for parents and learners. First and foremost, this is an issue for the school governing body and leadership team to resolve with the NASUWT. As a council, we are involved in the ongoing talks and will continue to work with all parties until issues are resolved. Whilst there hasn't been a resolution so far, the talks have been constructive and further talks are planned. Our main priority is the safety of pupils and staff. The current situation is not in the interests of anyone connected with the school or the community it serves."
