NASUWT Pay Strike Threat & Abuse Concerns

Welcome to The Daily School Leaders Briefing for Saturday, April 19th, 2025. Today's essential update for UK school leaders focuses on significant developments from the NASUWT teaching union's annual conference, covering potential industrial action over pay and concerning findings on pupil behaviour.

Key Briefings Inside:

1. NASUWT Threatens Strike Ballot Over Pay and Funding: We report on outgoing NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach's statement confirming the union would ballot members for industrial action if the government ignores a potential School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) recommendation for a pay rise above the DfE's initial 2.8% proposal. Learn about the urgent conference motion mandating the union to reject any unfunded pay award and immediately move to a formal ballot. Understand how this aligns NASUWT with the NEU, increasing the likelihood of widespread strike action in autumn 2025 if the pay settlement is deemed insufficient. Explore the broader context of the union's demands for real-terms public service investment, funded via progressive taxation. Analyse the critical implications for school leaders regarding budget uncertainty pending the STRB report and June Spending Review, and the necessity for robust contingency planning for potential multi-union industrial action.

   Keywords: NASUWT pay strike ballot, teacher pay 2025-26 UK, Dr Patrick Roach, STRB recommendation override, unfunded pay award, teacher industrial action autumn 2025, school funding June Spending Review, NASUWT conference.

2. Verbal Abuse & Social Media Impact on Pupil Behaviour (NASUWT Survey): Delve into the findings of the NASUWT Behaviour in Schools Survey, revealing that female teachers experience verbal abuse from pupils more frequently than male colleagues. Explore the data showing over a quarter of female teachers face abuse several times weekly. Understand the strong link drawn by teachers between negative pupil behaviour and social media influence (59% agree), with specific concerns raised about misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate impacting male pupils' attitudes and actions towards female staff and peers. Hear Dr Patrick Roach's call for "concerted action" on online safety, improved social media literacy, and a multi-agency response. Analyse the urgent implications for school leaders regarding staff wellbeing, tackling misogyny and online harms through policy and curriculum, promoting critical thinking, and the need for better external support systems.

   Keywords: NASUWT behaviour survey, verbal abuse teachers UK, female teacher abuse statistics, social media impact pupil behaviour, Andrew Tate influence schools, misogyny education, online safety curriculum, critical thinking skills, multi-agency support schools.

Audience: This briefing provides vital information for Headteachers, Senior Leadership Teams (SLT), Pastoral Leaders, Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs), MAT Leaders, School Business Managers, and Governors across the UK seeking insights based strictly on reported developments.