Mossborne Federation accuses school pupils of ‘toxic culture’

A leading school academy trust is facing accusations of presiding over a “toxic culture” towards its pupils.

More than 150 current and former pupils, parents, former teachers and professionals shared their experiences of Mossborne Federation of Schools in Hackney, East London.

The allegations, which span two decades, include claims that teachers routinely yell at pupils for minor infractions, with “public humiliation” being common.

A spokesman for Mossborne Federation said it was being targeted by a “disturbing campaign” and offered a safe learning environment for all its pupils, as evidenced by positive Ofsted reports and local authority reviews. is

The federation runs two primary, two secondary and sixth forms, with a total attendance of about 3500 students.

Many of the complaints relate to the treatment of students at two secondary schools – Mossborne Victoria Park Academy (MVPA) and Mossborne Community Academy (MCA).

Current and former students and parents described an environment in which fear and intimidation were used to enforce strict discipline and achieve strong academic results, with students struggling with mental health. There was a lack of adequate support for students with

The environment was described as harsh punishments, toilet restrictions and a “no excuses” approach. It reportedly disproportionately affected special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Testimony described widespread safety failures at schools and a culture of silencing or dismissing parents’ concerns.

Teachers told BBC London:

• He was told to instill a “healthy fear” in pupils and went on a training course to learn how
• He was encouraged to scare and shout at pupils because it would “benefit their education”.
• For not punishing the disciples, they were released.
• After teaching at the school, he faced various mental health problems

Former students said:

• There was racial prejudice against ethnic minority students, particularly regarding their hairstyles
• One said he was detained because a teacher simply “didn’t like my hair.”
• Issues and complaints raised about racism were ignored.
• Teachers shouted at students and humiliated them in front of their peers.
• Teachers bully students and ignore parents’ complaints.

It said its schools “worked proactively with parents and the community to address concerns”, offered regular parent surgeries and clear avenues for raising complaints and that it would “not allow any parent or staff encouraged any member to raise concerns directly with us”.

“Our academies have more than double the national average number of students with Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs), and receive the highest proportion of continuing counseling for students with EHCPs. Demonstrates commitment to involvement and support.

“Attendance rates for all students, including disadvantaged and disadvantaged students, are significantly higher than the national average. This suggests that these students feel safe and supported in the school environment.”

Responding to claims of racial bias towards students, the federation said: “Our schools pride themselves on being welcoming and inclusive to all our students and we therefore categorically reject these allegations of racism against our staff. But deny it.

“Furthermore, we promote a supportive family culture within the Mossborne Federation and we actively reject any form of discrimination in our academies.”

It added, “Many complaints about hairstyles have been received over the years and all have been dealt with appropriately. Our policy has been reviewed and developed.”

On allegations of teachers yelling at students, he said, “He acknowledges that teachers may sometimes use loud voices to ensure a focused and safe learning environment. , or there is no evidence to support claims of verbal abuse.”

MVPA alumnus Atiya said she started out “creative and happy” at the academy but left in 2020 with “social anxiety”.

He told BBC London that some of the behavior by some teachers amounted to bullying, including the regular practice of excessive punishment.

“When I was 7 or 8, my parents couldn’t go to parents’ evening, so I was locked up in the behavioral support unit for a week,” she said.

“I was isolated. I felt I was to blame but it was out of my control.”

Her account is among more than 150 collected by a campaign group made up of parents and local councilors who are pushing for reforms to Mossborne’s schools.

A group of about 30 parents first came together to voice their concerns about the school’s treatment of their children. With the Observer newspaper. Since then, they’ve seen an increase in responses.

A dossier compiled by campaign group, Educating Hackney, details anonymous accounts from parents, past and present pupils, former staff members and education professionals.

BBC London has spoken to 12 people whose testimonies are included in the document, including former MCA pupil Ishaq.

Standing outside the school while giving an interview to BBC News, He said that four years after leaving, he still has nightmares and “can still hear children screaming for years”.

The 20-year-old, who is now at university, said teachers would give excessive punishments for minor problems.

“One of the punishments I could get at school was to kneel for half an hour because the guy behind me was messing with my chair,” he recalled.

“It left skin chafing on my knees,” he said, adding that it was a “violated feeling.”

“There was a really toxic culture where there was a lot of aggression towards pupils, a lot of shame and isolation.”

Isaacs, who did not want his surname published, said it was a “daily occurrence” for teachers to hear pupils, including 12- and 13-year-olds, “completely flying off the handle”.

He left school with high grades but questioned whether it was worth it because of the effects on his mental health.

A spokesman for the Mossborne federation said it was treating all claims “with the utmost seriousness”.

The MCA website says: “Impeccable pupil behavior is achieved because our expectations are clearly and regularly communicated. There is no ambiguity about our expectations and our pupils feel safe.” “

Andy Larry May, who withdrew one of his sons from MVPA, is among the parents who are heading up the Education Hackney group.

He said that as far as he knew, his eldest son had been happy in school for 10 years when he was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mr Leary-May said the school was not flexible enough to meet his son’s needs.

She said she had asked the school to allow her son a break during the school day but was instead told her son would have to attend half a day a week and one day off.

He told BBC News: “I’ll try and say ‘It’s not working for him, it’s really not working for him’ and it doesn’t matter what I do. what did you say

“It was actually made clear that that’s what was going to happen.”

After pulling her son out of the school, she found that dozens of other parents had similar complaints at all of Mossborne’s schools spanning nearly two decades.

Mr Leary-May said he began collecting anonymous accounts and sharing information with Ofsted, the Department for Education (DfE) and Hackney Council.

His younger son still attends school, mainly because he doesn’t want to leave his friends.

“I don’t want the school to close at all,” added Mr Larry-May.

In response, the federation said: “It is important to consider the context of these allegations. The father leading the campaign has repeatedly refused to engage in the MVPA’s formal complaints process, including offers of mediation. is included.

“She has also enrolled her young child in MVPA, which calls into question the sincerity of her concerns.”

A spokesman for the Mossborne Federation said the welfare of pupils was “paramount” and that concerns raised by parents were fully investigated.

“We’ve also had external reviews by Ofsted and the local authority – none of them had any concerns,” he added.

The federation said it had tried to engage with the Educating Hackney campaign and its staff had been left “disturbed by the apparently disturbing nature of the allegations”.

was filed by MCA. This week’s Sunday Times As the 15th best state school in the UK.

A former secondary teacher employed by the Mossborne Federation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told BBC News staff they were trained on the topic of “healthy fear”.

“The idea is to scare the kids enough to do exactly what they’re meant to do,” he said.

“Kids need discipline but it was done in a way that I don’t think was appropriate.”

She said that while the schools had good teachers, she was forced to leave because of a “culture of fear” that made the work environment like “the wolf of Wall Street”.

He added that children and teachers would be crying in the corridors. “Teachers were encouraged to tell other teachers if they were not doing the right thing.”

A spokeswoman for the federation said its staff training in all its schools had maintained a “positive school culture”.

Hackney councilor Penny Riot, who is part of the Educating Hackney group, said she raised concerns about schools in the Mossborne federation a year ago and was “moved from one authority to another”.

He has asked the council to conduct a security review on the back of the testimony gathered.

The council’s cabinet member for education, Antoinette Bramble, said: “We take the council’s and all our schools’ safety responsibilities seriously, and we expect everyone who works with children and young people to , they deserve to be treated with respect, kindness and professionalism.”

He said the council had been in discussions with the DFE, Ofsted, the Mossborne Federation and the Independent Commissioner for Safeguarding Children.

Ms Bramble said there would be a multi-agency meeting to discuss next steps.

A DFE spokesman said: “These allegations are extremely distressing.

“We are clear that schools must be a safe and supportive environment where every child, including remitters, can achieve and thrive.

“We are working urgently with the local authority and the Mossborne Federation to establish the facts and any necessary action.”

The federation pointed out that no concerns had been raised in previous Ofsted reports. The 2021 Ofsted report into the MCA, which gave it an “outstanding” rating, says: “The demand for rules and routines ensures that learning is front and center at all times.”

The federation told BBC London: “We are committed to providing all students with a high quality education in a safe and supportive environment.

“We believe that extensive external scrutiny, strong academic results, and high attendance rates reflect the reality of our thriving and inclusive schools.”