Schools accused of 'toxic and humiliating culture'

Former pupil Isaac has questioned whether the top grades he attained were worth the impact on his mental health

A leading school academy trust is facing allegations of presiding over a "toxic culture" toward its pupils.

More than 150 current and former pupils, parents, former teachers and professionals have shared their experiences of the Mossbourne Federation schools in Hackney, east London.

The allegations, which span two decades, include claims of racism and that teachers would routinely scream at pupils for minor infractions, with "public humiliation" being commonplace.

A Mossbourne Federation spokesperson said it was being targeted by a "vexatious campaign" and it offered a safe learning environment for all its pupils, as evidenced by positive Ofsted reports and local authority reviews.

The federation runs two primaries, two secondaries and a sixth form, which a total of about 3,500 students attend.

Many of the complaints relate to the treatment of pupils at the two secondary schools - Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy (MVPA) and Mossbourne Community Academy (MCA).

Current and former students and parents have described an environment where fear and intimidation were used to enforce a strict "no-excuses" approach to discipline to achieve strong academic results.

They alleged it affected mental wellbeing and impacted those with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) disproportionately.

An independently-led review, ordered by the City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership, has now been commissioned to "determine if the concerns can be substantiated" into the claims against MVPA.

The Mossbourne Federation has been contacted for a response to the review.

What are the allegations?

Teachers have told BBC London:

• They were told to install "healthy fear" into the pupils and that they went on a training course to learn how to do this

• They were encouraged to scare and shout at pupils as this would "benefit their education"

• They were told off for not punishing pupils

• They were left with various mental health issues after teaching at the school

Former pupils have said:

• There was a racial bias against ethnic minority students, in particular regarding their hairstyles

• One said she was given a detention because a teacher simply "didn't like my hair"

• Issues and complaints raised about racism were ignored

• Teachers screamed at pupils and humiliated them in front of their peers

• Teachers bullied pupils and ignored complaints from parents

How has the federation responded?

Mossbourne Federation told BBC London:

• It is proactive in its engagement with parents and the community in addressing concerns, including parent surgeries and it has a clear complaints process

• The academies have more than double the national average number of students with Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs), demonstrating a "commitment to inclusion and support for Send students"

• It "categorically denies" any accusations of racism and it prides itself on being welcoming and inclusive to all students and rejects all discrimination

• Complaints over hairstyles had been received over the years with all being "dealt with appropriately" and its policy had been "reviewed and has evolved"

• It acknowledged that "teachers sometimes used a raised voice to ensure a focused and safe learning environment" but there was no evidence to "claims of teachers screaming at, or verbally abusing, students"

• Attendance rates for all students, including Send and disadvantaged pupils, was "significantly above" the national average, suggesting they feel safe and supported

Atiya says she was "locked in a behavioural support unit for a week"

Atiya, a former MVPA pupil, said she had started at the academy being "creative and happy" but left in 2020 with "social anxiety".

She told BBC London that some of the treatment by some teachers had amounted to bullying, including the regular doling out of excessive punishments.

"When I was in year 7 or 8, my parents couldn't make it to parents' evening, so I was locked in a behavioural support unit for a week," she said.

"I was isolated. I felt I was the one to blame but it was out of my control."

Her account is among more than 150 gathered by a campaign group made up of parents and local councillors who are urging reform at the Mossbourne schools.

'Skin abrasions on my knees'

A group of about 30 parents first came together to share their concerns about the school's treatment of their children with the Observer newspaper. Since then, they have seen a swell in responses.

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

BBC London has spoken to 12 people whose testimonies are among those featured in the document.

A former pupil of MCA, which was listed by the Sunday Times this week as the 15th best state comprehensive school in Britain, was interviewed by BBC News outside the school.

Isaac said that four years after leaving, he still had nightmares and could "still hear the heads of year yelling at children".

The 20-year-old, who is now at university, said the teachers would impose excessive punishments over minor issues.

"One of the punishments that I could have in school was having to kneel for half an hour because the guy behind me was messing with my chair," he recalled.

"That left skin abrasions on my knees," he said, adding it had been a "violating feeling".

"There was a really toxic culture where there was a lot of aggression towards pupils, there was a lot of shaming and isolation."

The Mossbourne Community Academy (MCA) has about 1,400 pupils

Isaac, who did not want his surname to be published, said it was a "daily occurrence" to hear teachers "completely fly off the handle" at pupils, including those as young as 12 and 13.

He left the school with top grades but questioned whether it had been worth it due to the impact on his mental health.

The spokesperson for the Mossbourne Federation said it was treating all claims with the "utmost seriousness".

Andy Leary-May is a leading parent behind the Educating Hackney group

Andy Leary-May, who withdrew one of his sons from MVPA, is among the parents spearheading the Educating Hackney group.

He said as far as he knew, his elder son had been happy at the school up until year 10 when he was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mr Leary-May said the school had been inflexible in accommodating his son's needs.

He said he had asked the school to allow his son to have set breaks through the school day but was instead told his son would need to move to half days and a day off in the week.

He told BBC News: "I would try and say, 'that's not working for him, it's really not working for him' and it didn't matter what I said.

"It was actually made clear that this is what was going to happen."

'Don't want it to close'

After pulling his son out of the school, he found dozens of other parents had similar complaints across all of the Mossbourne schools spread over nearly two decades.

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

His younger son still attends the school, primarily because he did not want to leave his friends.

"I absolutely don't want the school closed down," added Mr Leary-May.

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

"He has also enrolled his younger child at MVPA, which raises questions about the sincerity of his concerns."

Mr Leary-May has disputed this, adding he engaged with the school while his eldest son was attending.

The Mossbourne Federation spokesperson said student wellbeing was "paramount" and that issues raised by parents seriously were investigated fully.

"We have also had external reviews by Ofsted and the local authority – in none of these were any concerns raised," they added.

The federation said it had tried to engage with the Educating Hackney campaign and that its staff had been left "upset by the apparent vexatious nature of the allegations".

'Like the Wolf of Wall Street'

A former secondary teacher employed by the Mossbourne Federation, who asked to remain anonymous, told BBC News staff were given training entitled "healthy fear".

"The idea is to make the children fearful enough that they do exactly what they're meant to," she said.

"Children do need discipline but it was done in a way which I don't think was appropriate."

She said that while there were good teachers at the schools, she had felt forced to leave due to the "culture of fear" that made the working environment like the "Wolf of Wall Street".

"There would be children and teachers crying in the corridors," she added. "Teachers were encouraged to tell on other teachers for not doing the right thing."

The federation spokesperson said its staff training across its schools maintained a "positive school culture".

Hackney councillor Penny Wrout wants the authorities to act on the issues raised

Hackney councillor Penny Wrout, who is part of the Educating Hackney group, said she had raised concerns about the Mossbourne Federation schools a year ago and had been "passed from one authority to another".

She has called on the council to conduct a safeguarding review on the back of the testimony gathered.

Anntoinette Bramble, the council's cabinet member for education, said: "We take the council's and all our schools' safeguarding responsibilities seriously, and we expect everyone who works with children and young people to treat them with the respect, kindness and professionalism they deserve."

She said the council had engaged with the DfE, Ofsted, the Mossbourne Federation and the independent safeguarding children's commissioner.

Ms Bramble said a multi-agency meeting would take place to discuss the next steps.

'Safe and supportive environment'

A DfE spokesperson said: "These allegations are deeply distressing.

"We are clear that schools should be a safe and supporting environment where every child, including those with Send, can achieve and thrive.

"We are working urgently with the local authority and the Mossbourne 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 MCA, which gave it an "outstanding" rating, states: "Demanding rules and routines ensure that learning is front and centre at all times."

The federation told BBC London: "We are confident that the extensive external scrutiny, strong academic outcomes, and high attendance rates demonstrate the reality of our thriving and inclusive schools."