NASUWT

🚨 What’s going on at The Orchard School in Oldbury?

NASUWT believes that not only is this SEND school already over capacity, but with yet more pupils set to join in September, there are risks to the wellbeing of teachers and pupils. That is why the staff have now gone on strike, and why a rally took place at Sandwell Council House today.

At any SEND school, getting staff to pupil ratios right is essential for everyone’s safety. But NASUWT believes The Orchard does not have the staff or the space to meet the needs of its current pupils, let alone new ones. Many of the school’s pupils have complex disabilities and medical conditions.

We’ve raised concerns with the school since last September, and although some negotiations have taken place, no meaningful solutions have been found. That means we’re running out of time to make sure that The Orchard is safe as a school and as a workplace.

When staff ratios go down and pupil numbers go up, there are all sorts of negative consequences:

⚠️ Teachers’ workloads quickly become intolerable

⚠️ Teachers’ physical and mental wellbeing declines

⚠️ Pupils’ wellbeing declines too, and some exhibit challenging behaviour as a result

⚠️ Communication between leaders and staff becomes inconsistent and strained.

“Teachers at The Orchard need better communication from their leaders so that they feel involved in important decisions. They need meaningful workload impact assessments before big changes take place,” says National Executive Member Alan Jones.

“If the local authority wants The Orchard to take more pupils, they have to provide the resources to support this – that means more funding, more staff, and more space. None of that is going to materialise overnight.”

This is why we teach ⬇️

We spend a great deal of time working to eliminate the challenges teachers face (and there are many challenges). But there is always a reason why a person becomes a teacher, and that reason is worth fighting for 💫

👀 NASUWT and UK Feminista are teaming up to tackle the impact of sexism, harassment and online misogyny in schools.

We’ll work together on a research project which will examine the experiences of pupils and their teachers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We hope to uncover the impact of online misogyny and graphic content on young people, and will prioritise capturing intersectional experiences of pupils and staff.

Once the research is complete, we’ll publish a list of recommendations that will help to eliminate sexist behaviour in schools.

This work is desperately needed. A 2026 NASUWT survey of over 5,000 teachers suggests that:

⛔️ Misogyny from pupils has risen for four years running, with almost a quarter (23.4%) of female teachers reporting that they have been subject to misogyny from a pupil in the last year (up from 22.2% in 2025, 19.5% in 2024 and 17.4% in 2023);

⛔️ More than a fifth of all teachers (21.95%) report being subject to discriminatory language from a pupil in the last year, including sexist, racist and homophobic language;

⛔️ Teachers are often subject to misogynistic comments from pupils after attempting to address behaviour concerns, with some reporting that they are ignored by male pupils because they are female;

⛔️ Teachers increasingly report that misogyny and discriminatory language from pupils is not taken seriously enough by school leaders;

⛔️ One teacher describes misogyny from pupils as, “traumatising,” with others expressing that classroom misogyny leaves them feeling, “humiliated,” “violated,” “demeaned,” and “disempowered.”

It’s not enough to spread awareness – we have to bring solutions. Vulnerable young people are being exploited and harmed by misogynistic influencers, and teachers and other pupils are suffering as a result.

We’re proud to be working with UK Feminista, who have an amazing track record of impactful work, towards a more positive way forward.

📊 All teacher comments and data taken from NASUWT's Big Question Surveys and 2025 Behaviour in Schools report.

NASUWT teachers at Queen Elizabeth's School and Corfe Hills School have started strike action today over a planned restructuring that would lead to job losses and subject cuts.

We are urging the Initio Learning Trust, which runs both schools, to recognise that staff are its most precious asset and work with us on a solution which protects jobs and provision for students.

We would like to give a huge thank you to pupils who have supported their teachers on the picket line, parents, including and the local MP for their solidarity. Thanks also to all the passing drivers who gave us a honk!

Teachers are on strike today at Grays Convent High School in Essex over a mismanaged restructure.

Teachers object to the current restructure proposals because:

⛔️ They could make highly skilled teachers redundant, leaving their many years of valuable experience lost to the school community

⛔️ There has been no workload impact assessment, so it is likely the new staff structure would increase teachers' workloads

⛔️ Proposals include wide-ranging cuts to teachers' TLR allowances (extra time and pay for additional responsibilities)

⛔️ There has been little information conveyed to staff on how the restructure would work in practice, which means it is being imposed on them instead of being designed with them

⛔️ The uncertainty, lack of consultation and increased workload is affecting teachers' physical and mental health.

Teachers at Grays Convent High School do not believe this restructure is in the best interests of pupils or staff. They urgently need the school's governing body to listen to their concerns. Please share this post to show them that they are not alone 💪

😬 Constantly told to work through breaks.

😩 Constantly told to work more than their contracted hours.

😞 Constantly ignored – or worse, intimidated – by leaders when they try to raise an issue at work.

NASUWT teachers at Budmouth Academy in Weymouth have had enough and are currently taking several days of strike action (28 and 29 April).

For months, teachers at Budmouth Academy have tried to negotiate with academy trust leaders in order to fix problems with their working time and working conditions. But their requests for help have fallen on deaf ears, and they can't go on working in such a tense and stressful environment.

Most teachers have what is called a directed time calendar – a schedule of work that breaks down duties to be carried out during contracted hours. Budmouth Academy keeps missing things off teachers’ directed time calendars but still expecting them to do the work.

To make matters worse, instead of being able to design their own lessons, the teachers are forced to teach from a prescriptive playbook. This prevents them from using their hard-won skills and experience in the classroom to meet the needs of all their pupils.

Teachers’ welfare is pupils’ welfare, and all these teachers want is to be back in school with their pupils.

Please show these teachers your support – they just want to feel like their wellbeing matters.