Tes has been contacted with more claims about a “culture of fear” and staff “ripping into children” at two multi-academy trusts alleged to have used a hardline behaviour approach called “flattening the grass”.

Last week Tes reported claims that staff from Outwood Grange Academies Trust and Delta Academies Trust aggressively shouted at pupils as part of a “ritual humiliation” and “public shaming” to instil discipline.

After Tes published its stories, more sources have revealed concerns relating to both MATs.

How the story broke: Outwood Grange uses crisis managers to explain ‘flattening the grass’ 

Investigation: Insiders allege Outwood Grange ‘ritually humiliated’ pupils

Read: Teaching at ‘flattening the grass’ school ‘felt like being a prison warden’

One teacher - who asked not to be named - came forward with allegations relating to a third Outwood academy. “I can assure you that 100 per cent of things being reported by members of staff and ex-members of staff are 100 per cent true,” they said.

Describing how staff “scream” in children’s faces, the teacher said: “I’ve literally seen them get in their faces - as if the spit is about to come out of their mouth into the kid’s face - they get that up close.”

‘Cuture of fear and bullying’

The teacher said there was a “culture of fear and bullying exhibited by a wide range of ‘leaders’”, from Outwood Grange Academies Trust, with “unnecessary and unrealistic pressures and stress put on staff and students”.

“The irony being that their tag line is ‘Students First’ when actually the only people leadership put first is themselves and their egos,” they continued.

“The truth is, if you run ‘purple’ then your face fits. If you have an opinion or challenge then they will go out of their way to make your life a misery.”

The teacher’s comments follow claims from sources who used to work at a separate school, Outwood Academy Danum in Doncaster, who said they felt the MAT had adopted an approach that felt like “the flattening of the senior leadership team”. The sources said that if staff members bought into Outwood’s ethos, they were said to have become “purple” - the trust’s corporate colour.

A separate source also came forward who said they had seen “flattening the grass” when the MAT took over another school - Outwood Academy Portland in Worksop. They said that students were taken out of classrooms and “shouted at by several members” of staff “at the same time”.

“There were many positives of working with the MAT,” they said. “But eventually I had to leave due to the way they treated both staff and students, and that includes those of us that were indeed deemed to be ‘purple’.”

Tes also reported claims last week that Delta Academies Trust - which is run by Paul Tarn, a former Outwood executive - used “flattening the grass”.

Sources with knowledge of Delta’s takeover of South Leeds Academy in 2016 likened the school’s discipline methods to a “sort of public shaming” of children, with pupils subjected to “aggressive” shouting for “relatively minor” incidents.

Now Tes has also spoken to a parent - who did not wish to be identified - at Ingleby Manor Free School in Stockton-on-Tees, which is run by Delta.

The parent told Tes: “The way they treat the children in the school is exactly what you described.”

The parent said that assemblies packed with MAT staff took place at the school, and that pupils were put in detention for trivial things. “Children get them for literally turning their head, for talking, for dropping a pen and picking a pen up,” they said.

Academy staff ‘ripping into children’

The parent said they had personally witnessed staff at the school aggressively shouting at pupils. “I heard them myself, ripping into children,” the parent said. They added that if someone addressed a policeman in such a manner “they’d be arrested”. “But because it’s them against a student, it’s acceptable,” the parent said.

A spokeswoman for Delta told Tes that the “the trust does not have a ‘flattening the grass’ policy”. 

Referring to the claims about Ingleby, they said: “The care, guidance, support and behaviour policy was introduced at the school in normal school assemblies, which were led and attended by local staff. 

“The complaints policy outlines the process for stakeholders to raise any queries, concerns or complaints they may have. 

“A small minority of parents have raised queries with us. We are providing clarification and dealing with these in accordance with the complaints process, where appropriate.     

“In response to parental demand, the school has agreed to increase the number of students to be admitted into Year 7 in September 2019.”      

Outwood Grange was approached for a comment.

In response to a previous story on “flattening the grass”, the trust said: “In response to your questions, we ask: why are disgruntled individuals so keen to claim our pupils are unhappy when in inspection after inspection, Ofsted is lavishing praise on our schools for their happy atmosphere and outstanding academic progress?

“And why would record numbers of parents be sending their children to our schools if there was this negative culture our critics pretend exists?”