Striking teachers talk of “lack of basic human respect” at chain of free schools

Staff at a chain of free schools in East London are suffering from a “lack of basic human respect” under its leadership, one of them said as teachers, parents and some children gathered for the first day of a strike against its management practices.

Teachers spoken to at the picket outside a school in East London warned of being snapped at, overworked and left feeling hugely “undervalued” by the leadership of Canary Wharf Colleges Ltd, which controls three schools in the Isle of Dogs.

Three parents have been in touch with this website to argue that the schools have improved under the leadership of Joanne Taylor as chief executive, who arrived in January having worked for the Harris Federation, England’s second-largest academy chain.

However, parents and staff I spoke to at the picket line highlighted what seem extraordinarily high levels of teacher turnover at the Canary Wharf schools, and practices such as teachers having to put their hands in the air during staff meetings until there is silence, which left them feeling patronised and disrespected.

Children were also asked in an assembly to walk around school with their hands behind their backs until parent unhappiness forced a reversal of this policy, multiple staff members have told this website.

The background