More than four in five (82%) school leaders say they have been abused by parents in the past year, a survey has revealed.

The poll by school leaders’ union NAHT of more than 1,600 of its members, revealed shocking examples of head teachers and other senior leaders being verbally and physical abused.

Verbal abuse was the most common form of abuse suffered, with 85% of school leaders saying they had experienced this in the past year. This was followed by threatening behaviour (68%), online abuse (46%) and discriminatory language (22%), including use of racist, sexist or homophobic terms. One in 10 (10%) suffered physical violence.

The survey exposed widespread reports of trolling on social media and in parent groups on Facebook and WhatsApp - as well as appalling instances of hate campaigns and harassment and intimidation.

Some school leaders said the abuse had made their lives a misery to the extent that they had considered quitting the profession they love. It has left some suffering anxiety, depression and panic attacks.

Nearly nine in 10 (86%) said abuse from parents had increased in the last three years, with almost four in 10 (37%) of those saying it had ‘greatly’ increased. Only one percent said abuse had decreased.

More than a third (35%) of school leaders said they typically experienced abuse from parents every month, with 16% saying this happened weekly.

One senior leader told how ‘malicious and vexatious complaints made me want to leave my job and made me ill’.

Another, whose staff had to deal with repeated complaints which included nasty personal comments, said: ‘I felt very low and dreaded opening my emails…. Another member of the team said they might have to resign to avoid reading the emails’.

Paul Whiteman, NAHT’s general secretary, said: “The vast majority of parents are very supportive of schools and in most cases the relationship between school and home is really positive. However, in recent years we have heard of a worrying increase in the amount of abuse school leaders are experiencing.  Some of the stories we are hearing about the appalling abuse leaders and their staff are suffering from parents are almost beyond belief.

“These are dedicated professionals, who work hard day in day out to deliver a first-rate education for children in often trying circumstances. No-one should have to suffer this sort of abuse in their place of work.

“It causes enormous distress for school leaders, their staff, and sometimes pupils, and is even contributing to decisions by good people to leave the profession at a time schools are facing a severe recruitment and retention crisis - directly affecting the quality of education children receive.

“Where parents have concerns, worries or complaints, they of course should be able to raise these with the school, but this has to be done in a respectful manner. Put simply, whatever the situation, there is never an excuse for abuse.

“This also shows the importance of government treating the profession with the respect it deserves – too often teachers and leaders were publicly criticised and talked down to under previous administrations, sending completely the wrong signal.”

NAHT says this kind of abusive behaviour is not tolerated in other industries and is calling for the government to send a clear signal to parents that it is unacceptable in schools.

It also wants ministers to conduct an urgent review of complaints procedures to deter vexatious use of the existing system by parents which can involve complaints being lodged with multiple agencies - sometimes before school processes have been exhausted.

The union says its findings demonstrate the importance of its cross-nation No Excuse for Abuse campaign.

ENDS

Notes to Editor

NAHT surveyed 1,642 school leaders across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland from 4-18 November 2024.

In response to abusive behaviour, more than four in 10 (42%) school leaders said they had banned parents from the school site in the last year, and around a third said they had reported parents to police (32%) and the local authority (34%). Four in five (80%) said they had arranged a meeting with parents, while 72% had issued a warning letter or email.