PUTTING a stop to violence against school support staff in the classroom is at the heart of a report which was handed to council officials yesterday.

Members of the trade union GMB gathered outside the council offices to highlight their survey that shows 42 per cent of members reported violent behaviour against them by pupils in the last 18 months.

GMB, which represents teaching assistants, caretakers, office staff, bursars, librarians and cleaners, initiated the survey after a member allegedly had their finger dislocated by an eight-year-old pupil.

Regional organiser Carole Vallelly said she hoped the report shows the seriousness of incidents that school support staff have to deal with.

She said: “I think that the most useful way forward is a collaborative approach between the GMB and Swindon Borough Council, as well as the town’s schools.

“It has become apparent that a huge number of instances just go unreported because the staff regard them as a normal part of their job.

“We really need to encourage staff to report instances, but we also need to get procedures in place that actually deal with the issue and protect the staff.

“We need a rigorous overhaul of the health and safety procedures in schools, with particular emphasis on the protection of staff.

“We hope that by the GMB and the council working together, we can raise awareness, encourage reporting, and ensure we have robust enough policies in place to make a difference.

“It is really sobering to talk to the teaching assistants, as they say no one else would expect this as part of their working life.

“They are underpaid and under-appreciated, and we really need to raise awareness that putting up with abuse is not part of their job and should not be tolerated.”

GMB’s survey also showed that in mainstream schools 42 per cent of staff had suffered violence, 25 per cent had been spat at, and 46 per cent had suffered verbal abuse.

In special schools, 94 per cent of staff had suffered violence. Across all schools, 66 per cent reported that they have witnessed violence against other staff, 28 per cent have witnessed staff being spat at, and 56 per cent have witnessed verbal abuse. Only 25 per cent have not witnessed any incidents.

The union plans to have a meeting with council officials on Wednesday to discuss how safety policies can be improved.

At the gathering, GMB branch secretary Andy Newman said: “We are extremely concerned that 25 per cent of staff are afraid or apprehensive at work, but when they report incidents or concerns to schools management, half of our members report that management’s response is inadequate.

“We are also concerned that a number of pupils who would be better educated in special schools are now in mainstream schools, which is not fair to them, and also not fair to other pupils and staff. “Of our members in mainstream schools, 92 per cent report that there are pupils in the school who they feel need to be in a special school.”