Parents and teachers in Essex are raising alarms about the treatment of students at three schools recently taken over by the Mossbourne Federation, a high-profile academy trust known for its strict discipline and academic success. The schools in question—two secondary schools and one primary—were brought under Mossbourne’s management late last year, sparking concerns about the well-being of students.
Mossbourne Federation, which has a reputation for high academic standards and strict rules, already runs four schools and a sixth form in Hackney, where it has been widely praised for its transformation of student performance. The trust’s approach is built around discipline, and its Hackney schools are all rated “outstanding” by Ofsted. However, the federation’s recent expansion into Essex has raised concerns among local parents and staff, particularly around the tough disciplinary methods being implemented.
These concerns have come to light after a series of troubling incidents. In December, Hackney council initiated an independent safeguarding review into Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy following an investigation that uncovered allegations of emotional abuse towards children. Following the takeover of the Essex schools, similar complaints have emerged from parents in the area.
Last month, an emergency meeting attended by around 130 parents was held, where they raised several issues with local councillors. Among the most worrying allegations were that students were suffering from anxiety due to the school’s harsh discipline, including incidents where teachers were reportedly shouting at students. One particularly distressing account involved a secondary school student being left in wet clothes for an entire day after being refused permission to go to the toilet.
Further complaints have focused on the schools’ failure to accommodate children with special educational needs, with parents claiming that reasonable adjustments were not being made to support these students. One mother shared a traumatic experience where her son, attending Mossbourne Port Side Academy in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, was not allowed to use the bathroom during class. As a result, he wet himself in front of his peers and was left in his wet clothes for the remainder of the day, without anyone contacting her. She described the incident as deeply upsetting for her son, who was “traumatised” by the experience.
A teacher from Mossbourne Fobbing Academy, another of the federation’s schools in Essex, described witnessing an environment of fear among the students. Speaking anonymously, the teacher explained that since the Mossbourne takeover, some staff had been “humiliating” students and raising their voices at them. “I’ve seen Year 7 students in fear every day. It’s heartbreaking,” they said, adding that some students were having panic attacks. According to this teacher, anxiety among the students has drastically increased since Mossbourne’s management took over.
One parent spoke about the significant change in her son after the Mossbourne takeover of Mossbourne Fobbing Academy. The child, who had been receiving treatment for anxiety, became increasingly withdrawn and anxious. The mother described how her son began messaging her from the school toilet, begging her to pick him up. She recounted a specific incident where her son sought help from his maths teacher but was shouted at for not understanding the material, leaving him crying and humiliated in class. The school was aware of his mental health struggles but did nothing to address the situation, she claimed.
Mossbourne Federation has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the allegations.
The situation has raised serious questions about the appropriateness of the strict disciplinary methods employed at Mossbourne schools and their impact on the mental health of students. While Mossbourne’s approach has been lauded in Hackney for improving academic outcomes, it appears that this strict model is facing challenges in Essex, with rising concerns from both parents and staff about its effect on children’s emotional well-being.
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