Video emerges of ‘Thursday fights’ at school where teachers have gone on strike over knives

The headteacher at a school where staff have gone on strike over concerns about knife threats from pupils has insisted the environment is safe.

Satnam Dosanjh defended Starbank School in Birmingham, which is rated “outstanding” by Ofsted, but admitted there had been “isolated cases” of knife possession.

But a video emerged today, reportedly filmed by a student at the school, showing mass fighting by pupils as part of an alleged weekly “Thursday fight”.

Teaching union members warned that the school has seen three incidents involving knives at the school in the last three weeks, including reports of a 12-inch knife being brought in, and frequent violence in classrooms.

In a meeting with parents yesterday, Ms Dosanjh was said to have downplayed the knife incidents as “extremely rare” occurrences.

"We would like to reassure you that pupil behaviour is well-managed and the school environment continues to be safe for both pupils and staff,” she said.

"While there have been isolated cases of knife possession in school, such incidents are extremely rare and are dealt with in line with city-wide safeguarding policies."

Members of the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) have said the school has failed to address concerns over pupil behaviour.

The union is calling for a “knife audit” to record all incidents at the school over the past year, alongside risk assessments and training for staff members on dealing with weapons incidents.

“We’re only aware of knives being found recently, but we don’t know [how often it has happened],” said Paul Nesbitt, the NASUWT national executive member for the West Midlands.

“The authorities and school should have that information on record. If a knife is only in a school once a year, that’s a rare occurrence.

“But even if it’s only happened once, that’s a concern.”

He added that the video published today was a “clear example” of the alleged violence and noted some parents were not aware of the extent of the problem until recently.

“The school can’t deny that it’s happening,” he said.

Following the teacher strike on Thursday, the NASUWT is threatening further action on 3 July if their demands are not met.

However, Mr Nesbitt said teaching staff want to avoid further action and the union is trying to set up another meeting with the school and local authority to find a solution.

“We’re trying to be proactive and work with them,” he said. “Our focus is to make the situation better for teachers and parents in the school. That’s where our concerns are now.”

The reports at Starbank School emerged after recent criticism of a government policy which exempts primary and secondary schools rated "outstanding" from routine Ofsted inspections.

In June, it was revealed only one in six “outstanding” schools kept their top grade after a re-inspection from Ofsted.

Amanda Spielman, Ofsted’s chief inspector, has called on the government to remove the policy amid concerns over the legitimacy of the rating.

Starbank School was rated "outstanding" in 2012 and maintained that rating after a monitoring inspection in 2018.

Ofsted has said it is “aware of the reports regarding Starbank and has been in contact with Birmingham City Council”.

The organisation said it would continue to monitor the situation but did not say if the school was likely to be re-inspected.

When asked to comment on the video, Starbank School directed The Independent to Birmingham City Council.

Cllr Jayne Francis, cabinet member for education, skills and culture, said, “We are deeply disappointed by the recent reports of violence at Starbank School as this does not reflect the experience of our students and staff.

“While there have been isolated incidents in school, these have been extremely rare and have been dealt with appropriately, in-line with city-wide safeguarding policies and the school’s records reflect this.

“Pupil behaviour at Starbank School is well-managed and the school environment continues to be safe for both pupils and staff. If parents have any concerns, parent workshops are being held to facilitate discussion or they would be actively encouraged to speak to the headteacher directly.”