Members of the NASUWT - The Teachers’ Union will take strike action at Pencoedtre School in Barry tomorrow (Wednesday). A further five days of potential strike action are planned on the 18th, 24th, 25th and 30th January and the 1st February.
Teachers at Pencoedtre School have urgent health and safety concerns. They have suffered increasing verbal and physical abuse from a small number of pupils. Since September 2023 there have been more than 50 serious incidents of abuse at the school. Teachers fear for their own safety and mental health, and for the wellbeing of pupils and support staff.
NASUWT members at Pencoedtre School are now in dispute with Vale of Glamorgan Council over their refusal to intervene and implement solutions.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said:
“Vale of Glamorgan Council is failing in the most basic of statutory remits: to keep employees and children safe. The situation at Pencoedtre is a serious concern. Nobody should fear physical or verbal abuse at work or be expected to put up with it as ‘part of the job.’
“We should never ask teachers to work in classrooms where pupils are afraid of other pupils. No student can learn or progress in that environment. The Council must move immediately to protect everyone at Pencoedtre.”
Neil Butler, NASUWT National Official Wales, said:
“Strikes are a last resort for Pencoedtre’s dedicated teachers. There are some pupils at the school whose complex needs can only be met at a specialist provision, but no places have been offered. This negligence is causing immense distress for everyone.
“School management is eager to resolve these issues and the executive headteacher has put forward a number of practical solutions but Vale of Glamorgan Council refuse to implement them within a safe and reasonable time frame. Their actions are likely to cause harm to the teachers, pupils and school staff under their duty of care.
“Pencoedtre is just one of a number of schools in Wales where the NASUWT is in dispute over learner behaviour. This is a national crisis that the Welsh Government needs to get serious about.”
