Parents and teachers have revealed the shocking scale of chaos at a troubled secondary school, which they say is plagued with abuse and violence.
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00:00 "Not ready, not respectful, not ready"
00:04 Striking over behaviour policy is rare but teachers here claim they've been left with
00:09 no other choice.
00:10 "I was threatened with my life, a student in a corridor because I asked them to stand
00:16 in a line outside a classroom, threatened to kill me, threatened to knife me, cut me.
00:22 We are threatened with rape, with murder, with being cut, with being knifed. Just in
00:28 the last two weeks we have had four physical assaults on staff. I now refuse to teach on
00:33 this site which is where it happened."
00:35 Lisa is not the only one. Both Oasis Academy sites had picket lines this morning calling
00:42 for reform.
00:43 "We feel that sometimes our school leaders, not just here but up and down the country
00:48 as well, are tied by policies that have and make no sense in current day schools."
00:55 Negotiations have been taking place but the union says talks have been going on for years.
01:01 "The worst offenders would be excluded. There'd be a restorative element of course so that
01:07 the employers senior team or pastoral team would meet parents and the children and ensure
01:14 that they understand the circumstances and the behaviour that's required before they
01:18 re-enter."
01:19 "You get a flag, the only thing I want back is that."
01:21 It's the first of seven strikes.
01:22 "If there is a next time, let's hope we solve it."
01:27 And it's thought to be the first of its kind in the county.
01:30 "It's a very unusual thing, it's very unusual and it indicates I think to everyone the strength
01:35 of feeling amongst the staff. They've put up with it for a long time, they've tried
01:39 to manage it the best they can and they feel they have no other option now."
01:43 Fish Strike Action has seen school closed to children and students today but we have
01:49 seen a number of cars and buses carrying pupils coming into the school. Admittedly we're talking
01:56 a handful of students but it seems the communication to some parents just didn't get out there.
02:03 But teachers say students have long been suffering.
02:07 An Oasis Academy spokesperson said providing a high quality of education for every student
02:12 is their top priority and students have online study materials during the action.
02:18 "We've had positive discussions with the union and are confident that we are making
02:22 significant progress."
02:24 For two secondary schools will be taken over by a new trust in September but that's still
02:34 two and a half terms away. Strikers hope to find a resolution this week to call off further
02:40 strikes.
02:41 Gabriel Morris for KENTV in Sheppey.
02:43 ♪ All right ♪