Teachers at Aberdeen school balloted over pupils' 'violent' behaviour

Teachers at an Aberdeen school are being balloted for industrial action over what a union has described as violence against staff.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said there were serious concerns over the safety of staff at Northfield Academy.

The union said violence or the threat of violence was unacceptable, and that not enough was being done.

Aberdeen City Council said it was "disappointed" at news of the ballot.

The local authority said work had been undertaken to address concerns in recent months.

Balloting in an individual school on such an issue is regarded as very unusual.

EIS Aberdeen local association joint secretary Heather Collie said teachers were well accustomed to dealing with pupil indiscipline and experienced a wide range of challenging behaviours throughout their working lives.

She said this was never a pleasant part of the job, but it was a "reality" for which teachers were trained.

"What will always be unacceptable, however, is where challenging behaviour escalates to become violence or the threat of violence against a member of teaching staff," she said.

"It is, unfortunately, the case that violence against teachers, both physical and verbal, perpetrated by a very small percentage of pupils, has become far too frequent at Northfield Academy.

"It is for that reason that Aberdeen EIS requested, and the EIS emergency committee authorised, a statutory industrial action ballot for our members at the school."

The EIS said a recent consultative ballot in the school showed strong support for a move to industrial action.

"Considerable work has been undertaken to address concerns raised by the trade union since the dispute was lodged in June," the local authority said in a statement.

The council said staff had engaged with opportunities to have a "greater voice in school improvement".

The statement said: "The school launched an innovative pilot to support pupils finding it hardest to engage with education, bringing considerable additional staffing resource and expertise to the school.

"Northfield Academy is a school where every staff member and pupil is valued - where inclusion and opportunity are at the heart of education - and we hope to work with trade union colleagues to resolve the issues raised, so we might continue to provide a positive place of learning for all."

The ballot will close on 18 November.