Verbal abuse and poor behaviour are daily issues for one in three school support staff, according to a survey by the UK’s largest union.
Some 35 per cent of school support staff witness verbal abuse at work every day, Unison has found.
A similar number (34 per cent) see pushing on a daily basis and a quarter (26 per cent) report kicking and the throwing of objects as daily issues.
The union surveyed 7,811 school support staff members from throughout the UK, with most respondents (64 per cent) working in primary schools.
‘Vital contribution’ of support staff needs to be recognised
Mike Short, Unison’s head of education, said that “tackling bad behaviour in school requires funding and extra staff, but this survey shows the opposite has happened in recent years”.
He added that the government’s decision to reinstate the School Support Staff Negotiating Body should mean recognition for the “vital contribution” made by workers such as teaching assistants, cleaners and technicians.
“Crucially, it must also lead to improved pay and conditions,” Mr Short said.
Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of school support staff said they have witnessed violence at work in the past year.
More than four in ten (47 per cent) of those surveyed said that if they had experienced a violent incident, they did not feel supported by their headteacher.
A further 65 per cent had not received training on how to deal with violent situations.
The findings come after one in four primary teachers and leaders reported that they had to restrain a pupil in the past half-term, Tes revealed earlier this month.
Behaviour seen as biggest workload driver
Workload was also a major issue for school support staff, with 80 per cent reporting that it had increased over the past year.
This is linked to retention: 60 per cent say the number of support staff at their school has fallen in the past year.
Meanwhile, 67 per cent worked more than their contracted hours without getting paid overtime.
The factors having the biggest impact on workload were: behaviour management (54 per cent), one-to-one support (48 per cent) and looking after children with complex needs (47 per cent).
Most staff (94 per cent) felt undervalued by the government, a similar number (89 per cent) by their trust or local authority, and 59 per cent by school leaders.
However, 74 per cent felt valued by pupils and 84 per cent by their colleagues.
Pay rise would make support staff feel more ‘valued’
A pay increase came top when support staff were asked what would make them more valued (85 per cent), with the feeling that they were respected as teaching staff and having more support from managers also cited as factors.
Teachers and school leaders received a 5.5 per cent pay rise in September 2024.
The offer of £1,290 to school support staff in England for 2024-25 was accepted by Unison after not enough members voted in the union’s strike ballot.
A DfE spokesperson said: “School support staff make a huge contribution to children’s education and the smooth running of our schools, and are crucial to our mission to drive high and rising standards across our schools, helping all children achieve and thrive.
“All school staff should feel safe and supported at work, and confident in being able to report concerns - and we expect school leaders as employers to take appropriate action to tackle any issues that are raised.
“We recently reinstated the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB), which aims to make sure they are properly valued and respected as the professionals they are.”
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