Striking staff say they feel unsafe and intimidated

Striking staff at a school where a teacher was stabbed claim a lack of action to discipline disruptive students means they feel unsafe and fear a similar incident could happen again.

More than 50 members of staff at Tewkesbury Academy in Gloucestershire are involved in industrial action and said trust in the school's leadership had broken down.

A National Education Union (NEU) representative said members of staff felt "really scared" and thought things were "out of control" at the school.

The Cabot Learning Federation (CLF), which runs the school, said it did "not recognise these descriptions of Tewkesbury Academy as an accurate portrayal of life within the school".

More than 50 members of the NEU and The Teachers' Union NASUWT first walked out on 4 February over concerns a small number of disruptive children were not being dealt with properly.

Regional NEU officer Ted Powell said further strike action had been delayed but was now going ahead due to a break down of trust.

NEU members lodged a formal grievance to CLF alleging bullying and intimidation, concerns over a hostile working environment and comments being made which undermined people's "dignity at work".

The action comes three years after a teacher was stabbed by a pupil and NEU representatives said some members of staff feared a similar incident could happen again.

"During the first week of strike action the school did come back with an offer that we thought we can work with," Powell said.

"We delayed strike action so we could have further talks but then unfortunately the head teacher went round and bullied and intimidated staff and spoke to them in a derogatory way," he added.

The NEU claimed head teacher Kathleen McGillycuddy bullied some staff and called those on strike "weirdos".

Responding to the allegation, CLF, which is also representing the school's head teacher, said school leaders asked staff to think carefully before striking due to the impact on pupils and the community.

"This is allowed and is not intimidation," a spokesperson said.

They added "misinformation" had been circulated throughout the dispute and it was "deeply saddening to see dedicated school leaders targeted".

Powell said other accusations raised by NEU members included:

• Staff allegedly being told to move disruptive students from normal lessons during an Ofsted inspection
• A senior leader speaking to two teachers about their pupils' GCSE results and allegedly using swear words to describe them in a derogatory way

"Even for those students who are misbehaving, which is a small group, they've been let down by the system.

"If we can get them under control, we want to make sure that they're learning in a safe environment as well, we want to protect them too," Powell said.

He claimed the school's head teacher's refused to acknowledge the problem.

"Her response was 'yeah, Ted I just don't recognise those things that you're talking about'. Which is part of the problem - she's just out of touch," he said.

A spokesperson for CLF said they recognised there was "and will always be, work to do to ensure behaviour consistently" met the body's high expectations.

"We have already put in place a number of new measures. This includes significant investment in our reset hub, where students with higher needs can learn in a dedicated space, reducing disruption in other classrooms.

"Negotiations with the unions remain live," they added.

The school noted it was inspected by Ofsted in 2025 and rated as "good" in all areas, including behaviour and attitudes.

In a letter sent to parents before half term, McGillycuddy said the school had provided credible solutions to five out of 11 issues which had been flagged, and partial solutions to a further four.

A spokesperson for NASUWT, whose members are also taking part in the strike, said teachers wanted an "effective system of pupil management" which safeguarded staff and pupils.

"We will continue to defend their right to a safe working environment," Jane Peckham, deputy general secretary of the union, added.

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