Teachers Receive £15m in Payouts for School Injuries and Assaults
Union members have reported that staff are frequently forced to manage dangerous behaviour from a small number of pupils, leading to significant physical and psychological harm. Details about compensation for personal injury awarded to UK school staff have been revealed by the NASUWT union, showing that teachers made ill by rats and hit by a toaster were among those who received a share of £15 million paid out in compensation.
Compensation Cases Highlight School Safety Failures
The information was disclosed by the NASUWT union ahead of its annual conference in Birmingham later this week. It relates to successful claims for unfair dismissal, redundancy, discrimination, personal injury, and health and safety violations. In one notable case, a teacher contracted leptospirosis from a rat infestation at their school, resulting in headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and physical and mental weakness. This led to a six-figure out-of-court settlement.
Another teacher was injured after a pupil threw a toaster and chair, and was subsequently punched and kicked while attempting to remove the pupil from the classroom. This incident required surgery and psychiatric support, culminating in a six-figure damages payment. Additionally, the NASUWT secured a successful claim for disability discrimination after a teacher, left disabled when a whiteboard fell on them, was denied access to a suitable toilet and moved to a reduced-salary role, with a five-figure sum negotiated in settlement.
Union Calls for Improved Employer Responsibility
The union stated that it had secured compensation totalling almost £15.5 million for members across the UK last year. Matt Wrack, the general secretary of NASUWT, emphasised that if employers took their duty of care and legal responsibilities seriously, legal action would not be necessary. He noted that behind each case is a teacher who has endured months or years of mental distress and anxiety, with some unable to return to teaching due to physical injuries or psychological impacts.
Rising Violence in Schools Sparks National Campaign
Meanwhile, at the National Education Union (NEU) conference in Brighton, members voted for a motion calling for a national campaign to reduce violence in schools. Delegates described violent incidents they had encountered, highlighting a growing crisis. Charlotte Lawrence from Portsmouth, who proposed the motion, explained that she spends more time managing the dangerous behaviour of a few pupils than focusing on delivering high-quality education to the rest. She detailed incidents where staff were grabbed, kicked, punched, spat at, cornered in classrooms, and subjected to threats, with corridors feeling more like crowd control than educational spaces.
Laura Ann Watford, also from Portsmouth, shared that one of her teacher friends was beaten to the ground by a student and kicked 14 times. Susan Kent from the NEU’s Hampshire branch reported that a member was left with bruises and bites after an attack by a pupil. Many delegates stressed that pupils are not to blame, attributing the rise in poor behaviour to unmet needs, mental health challenges, and unrecognised trauma.
Systemic Issues in School Support and Resources
Daniel Kebede, NEU general secretary, pointed out that surveys of teacher and support staff members have highlighted disruptive student behaviour as a major concern that interrupts teaching and learning. He stated that schools are running on empty, lacking sufficient staffing and pastoral support. Access to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and mental health specialists is a significant challenge, making it harder for schools to intervene early and effectively.
This situation underscores broader issues in the education system, where inadequate resources and support mechanisms contribute to unsafe environments for both staff and students. The compensation payouts and union actions reflect a pressing need for systemic changes to ensure safety and well-being in schools across the UK.
