Teachers strike at two Greater Manchester primary schools over ‘culture of violence’

NASUWT members at Ravensfield and Lily Lane primary schools are staging nine-day walkout over ‘almost daily’ attacks by pupils

Teachers at two primary schools in Greater Manchester say they have been driven to strike because of “almost daily” attacks by pupils, leaving parents bewildered by the industrial action.

Members of the NASUWT teaching union at Ravensfield and Lily Lane primary schools are taking nine days of strike action, from this week until 22 January, because of what the union called “a culture of violence” involving an increasing number of assaults by pupils against staff and other children.

Matt Wrack, the NASUWT’s general secretary, said the strike action was a “declaration of emergency” from the teachers at the two schools.

Wrack said: “Not only are school and trust leaders failing in their basic duty of care to provide this environment, but they have gone as far as to intimidate and punish staff who report concerns. This cannot continue.”