School Academy Trust Faces Allegations of ‘Toxic and Humiliating Culture’

Claims of a “toxic culture” directed at pupils have been leveled against a prominent school academy trust, the Mossbourne Federation. Over 150 individuals, including current and former students, parents, ex-teachers, and other professionals, have recounted their experiences concerning the Mossbourne Federation schools located in Hackney, east London. These accusations, covering a period of two decades, encompass claims of racism and assertions that educators frequently yelled at students for minor rule breaches, often involving “public humiliation.” A spokesperson for the Mossbourne Federation stated that the organization believes it is the subject of a “vexatious campaign” and affirmed its commitment to providing a secure educational setting for all students, citing favorable Ofsted assessments and local authority evaluations as proof. The federation operates two primary schools, two secondary schools, and a sixth form, collectively serving approximately 3,500 students. A significant portion of the grievances pertains to how students are treated at its two secondary institutions: Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy (MVPA) and Mossbourne Community Academy (MCA). Both current and former pupils, alongside parents, have characterized a school atmosphere where strict “no-excuses” disciplinary methods, aimed at achieving high academic outcomes, were enforced through fear and intimidation. They contended that this approach negatively affected mental wellbeing and had a disproportionate impact on students with special educational needs and disabilities (Send). In response, the City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership has commissioned an independently-led review to “determine if the concerns can be substantiated” regarding the allegations against MVPA. The Mossbourne Federation has been approached for its comments on this review. Atiya, a former student at MVPA, recounted that she began her time at the academy feeling “creative and happy” but departed in 2020 experiencing “social anxiety.” She informed BBC London that certain teachers’ conduct constituted bullying, including the consistent application of excessive penalties. “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 stated. “I was isolated. I felt I was the one to blame but it was out of my control.” Her testimony is one of over 150 collected by a campaign group comprising parents and local councillors advocating for changes within the Mossbourne schools. Initially, approximately 30 parents convened to express their worries regarding the schools’ treatment of their children to the Observer newspaper. Subsequently, the volume of responses has significantly increased. A dossier, assembled by the campaign group Educating Hackney, now contains anonymised accounts from parents, current and former students, ex-staff members, and educational professionals. BBC London has interviewed 12 individuals whose statements are included in this document. A former student of MCA, which the Sunday Times recently ranked as the 15th best state comprehensive school in Britain, was interviewed by BBC News outside the institution. Isaac stated that even four years after his departure, he continues to experience nightmares and can “still hear the heads of year yelling at children.” The 20-year-old, currently attending university, described how educators would administer disproportionate punishments for minor infractions. He recounted, “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 added, “That left skin abrasions on my knees,” describing it as a “violating feeling.” Isaac characterized the environment, saying, “There was a really toxic culture where there was a lot of aggression towards pupils, there was a lot