Special needs pupils “continue to be responsible for a disproportionate number of violent incidents” according to latest report, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Violence and aggression against school staff in the borough remains a “serious concern” according to Enfield Council, with many staff saying they “lack adequate support”.

In January the council requested data from all staff in community, foundation, academy and voluntary aided schools in Enfield.

This is a second annual assessment and builds on the council’s 2024 findings on the state of safety within schools and the experiences of staff.

The data showed there has been a reduction across all categories of violence, however the report stated pupils with special educational needs (Send) or complex needs “continue to be responsible for a disproportionate number of violent incidents”.

The council said the violence was not “confined to any specific group” with mainstream pupils accounting for a third of reported incidents and parents 16%.

Over 80% of incidents in total were perpetrated by pupils and 16% by parents, up from 11% in 2024.

Chris Brown, the council’s head of education, said: “Overall, the survey findings indicate that while progress has been made in reducing violence and improving support systems, schools and trusts should continue to create a consistently safe and supportive environment for school staff.

“Schools should ensure they have strong policies, support staff with training in de-escalation techniques, and ensure that clear and effective reporting and support systems are in place.

“Addressing the root causes of aggression, particularly among SEN and mainstream pupils, as well as ensuring that parents understand and respect behavioural expectations, will be key to making further improvements in school safety.”

The report raised a separate concern on response rates with just 5% of eligible people taking part.

Only 274 people responded to the survey but based on data from 2023 there are 5,234 staff members in Enfield schools.

The response rate is also a significant decrease from 2024 which had 991 responses.

The council said while the response rate was large enough to be “meaningful” it could contain bias.

Analysing the potential reasons for the low take-up rate the report concluded that repetition, perceived lack of change, or improved workforce support could be responsible.

Of the 274 respondents 44% said they had experienced violence or aggression towards them in the last twelve months.

Last year 82% of staff reported incidents, which increased to 86% this year. In response to why staff did not report an incident 17% said they were “too busy” while 17% said they did “not want to make a fuss”.

Underreporting for these two reasons rose by 9% and 8% respectively compared to last year’s results with the report concluding workload pressures and personal reluctance played a “growing role”.

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.