Building Safer Schools: Responding to Occupational Violence and Aggression
A recent investigation by TES has revealed a sharp rise in incidents of occupational violence and aggression in schools across England.
Multi-academy trusts have reported significant increases in unsafe incidents that have led to injury for both staff and students, in some cases rising more than tenfold over the past five years. Both primary and secondary schools are affected, and teachers surveyed said they were experiencing more physical abuse and threats than ever before.
While some of this increase could be seen to reflect better and more consistent reporting, the overall picture is clear: schools are facing growing challenges around safety, and the risks to staff and students alike are becoming more acute. What matters is how we practically support schools to ensure they have a toolkit of strategies that reduce risk and protect the whole school community.
By embedding a culture of safety, teaching essential self-regulation skills, strengthening relationships, and equipping staff with the tools and strategies they need, we can work together to reverse these trends and ensure schools are places of trust, respect and safety.
Understanding the function of behaviour
The TES findings shed light on the rise in incidents, but the numbers alone don’t explain why this is happening.
Heightened or distressed behaviours rarely appear out of nowhere. They may be the result of unmet needs, communication barriers, or pressures outside school that manifest during the day. The report also alludes to the legacy of the pandemic, rising poverty and social deprivation, and cuts to wider social services, suggesting that all have played a role in the rise in occupational violence and aggression.
Unsafe incidents are a clear signal that something isn’t working for a child or young person. While we need to carefully consider how we respond to keep everyone safe after incidents, we must also consider why we are seeing the behaviour. This is not to excuse or condone it, but to better understand the wider context that led to it.
Recognising the reasons behind behaviour better enables schools to take a proactive, preventative stance, actively de-escalating situations before they reach crisis point to keep everyone safe.
Embedding a culture of safety and respect
Behaviour cultures contribute to shaping outcomes. This is not an issue for teachers to fix; this is something that everyone within a school organisation, including students and their families, must work together to address. Safety must be woven into the fabric of every school, and students and staff alike need to understand that respect and dignity are the foundation of how the community operates.
Consistency is essential. Where approaches to behaviour vary widely from classroom to classroom, children can quickly feel frustrated or unfairly treated, which increases the risk of escalation. A culture built on fairness, predictability, and trust reassures students and empowers staff. Safety in schools is not about rigid control but about creating an environment where expectations are clear, responses are consistent, and relationships are prioritised.
Equipping staff with skills and confidence
The TES report highlights the toll on staff wellbeing, with many describing the impact of unsafe incidents on their confidence and morale.
Violence should never be normalised as part of the job, and staff should feel reassured that their safety matters. Training in de-escalation, early recognition of signs of distress, and safe intervention strategies equip staff to respond calmly and effectively. Alongside training, staff need systems that treat every incident seriously, prioritise safety, provide opportunities for debriefing, and offer emotional support.
Strengthening the student / teacher relationship
Relational approaches built on strong, trusting relationships are a powerful preventative factor.
Investing in relationships means listening, as well as setting boundaries, applying sanctions fairly and consistently when these are deemed necessary, and showing belief in a child’s ability to do better. By prioritising relationships, schools can reduce risk and increase safety for everyone.
Designing safe and supportive environments
The environments in which staff and students interact can also shape the likelihood of unsafe incidents. Crowded corridors, busy classrooms, and the fun and freedom of break times can all contribute to heightened behaviour. Practical changes, such as providing calm spaces for regulation, ensuring visible adult presence in shared areas, and maintaining clear routines, can often make a tangible difference.
Schools also face pressure when specialist provision is hard to access. Without adequate provision around counselling, mental health, and behaviour, staff find themselves managing needs that go beyond the classroom. External support is critical to keeping schools safe and to reducing the likelihood of serious incidents.
Post-incident processes
Even with strong preventative strategies, incidents may, despite everyone’s best efforts, sometimes occur. How we respond afterwards can help to determine whether these become learning opportunities or recurring risks.
For students, effective restorative practices allow them to reflect on the impact of their actions, take responsibility, and rebuild relationships. For staff too, debriefing is vital, to process the incident, hear their perspective, protect their wellbeing, and strengthen practice for the future.
Improved reporting is not just about collecting numbers, but about learning from incidents. By treating each incident as a chance to refine practice and strengthen systems, schools can make long-term progress in reducing risk.
A shared responsibility to address occupational violence
The increase in incidents of occupational violence and aggression demands urgent attention. The figures are alarming, and they also provide a clear call to action.
However, this is not a challenge teachers can solve alone, and there is no simple solution. Addressing occupational violence and aggression requires a joined-up approach from all school staff and governors, strong partnerships with families, and investment from policymakers.
Every member of staff has the right to work in a safe environment. Every child has the right to learn free from fear. Meeting these needs is not optional; it is the foundation of effective education.
