Verbal abuse online attacks and threats

The headteachers’ union has revealed a shocking amount of abuse by parents

The majority of school leaders have reported being abused by parents in the past year, a survey has suggested.

More than two in five school leaders (42%) said they had banned parents from the school site in the past 12 months as a result of abuse – and 32% reported parents to the police, according to the poll by school leaders’ union NAHT.

A survey, of more than 1,600 NAHT members in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, found 82% of school leaders said they had personally experienced abuse from parents within the past year.

The poll, carried out by the union in November 2024, suggested that 86% of school leaders said abuse from parents had increased in the past three years.

Verbal abuse was the most common experience of abuse reported by school leaders in the past year (85%), followed by threatening behaviour (68%), online abuse (46%) and discriminatory language (22%).

One in 10 school leaders said they had suffered physical violence in the last 12 months while 4% said they had experienced spitting, the survey found.

The poll exposed reports of trolling on social media and in parent groups on Facebook and WhatsApp, as well as instances of hate campaigns and harassment and intimidation, the union said.

Some leaders said the abuse had made them consider quitting the profession, while others were left suffering anxiety, depression and panic attacks.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, said: “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.”

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

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

Another 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.”

The NAHT is calling for the Government to send a clear signal to parents that abuse is unacceptable in schools.

The union wants ministers to conduct an urgent review of complaints procedures to deter a “vexatious” use of the existing system by parents.

When asked why school leaders are facing a rise in abuse from parents, Mr Whiteman said: “It’s hard to pinpoint a single reason for the increase.

“Schools are certainly seeing more pupils and parents struggling after a decade of under-investment under previous governments in social care, mental health services and support for children with special educational needs.

“This happened alongside cuts to welfare support, and we then had the impact of the pandemic and inflation.

“Parents need support but there is no excuse to take out their frustration on school staff doing their level best to help, often without the resources or access to the specialist services they need.”

The NAHT represents school leaders working across the education sector, including: headteachers, executive heads, trust chief executives, deputy and assistant heads, vice principals and school business leaders.

A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said: “Nobody should face violence or abuse in the workplace, including our incredible school staff who are vital to improving life chances for all children.

“As part of our Plan for Change, we are committed to turning the tide on poor behaviour, breaking down barriers to opportunity and ensuring every child can achieve and thrive.

“Our new regional improvement teams will work with schools to spread the highest standards of behaviour across our classrooms, and we are committed to providing access to a specialist mental health professional in every school.

“But we know there is more to do and are looking closely at how we can go further to support teachers and drive high and rising school standards for all our children.”

Published: 04/03/2025 by Radio NewsHub