Teachers at Flint High School strike again over pupil behaviour and claims of bullying
Staff at Flint High School have begun two further days of strike action this week, as members of the National Education Union (NEU) Cymru continue their dispute over alleged workplace bullying and pupil behaviour concerns.
Union members walked out on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 October, marking their seventh and eighth days of industrial action since the dispute began.
The NEU says the strike follows the employer’s continuing failure to address bullying behaviour from the Headteacher and ongoing issues with pupil discipline.
Despite meetings between union officials, the local authority and school management, members say they have not been given the chance to speak directly with the full governing body.
The union said a full governors’ meeting scheduled for Thursday 16 October did not go ahead as planned, with only a handful of governors attending.
Nicola Fitzpatrick, Wales Secretary for NEU Cymru, said: “NEU members are now on their 7th and 8th days of industrial action. Not only are the governing body unwilling to meet with our members but they seemingly cannot ensure a quorate meeting during a dispute which has already seen six days of industrial action. If this is the level of scrutiny the school leadership has had in recent years perhaps it is now less of a mystery how we got to the stage of having to take strike action.”
Liz McLean, NEU Executive Member for Wales, said: “The commitment our members are showing to ensure a safe working environment for all staff and all learners is inspiring. When members win this dispute, and we know that they will with levels of support the local community has shown them, the school will come out in a much stronger state.”
She added: “Other members throughout the union are watching the dispute in Flint High with admiration. I’m sure we will soon see many other workplace groups taking action in their workplaces and refusing to suffer in silence any longer.”
The strike has also drawn wider political attention. The Welsh Conservatives criticised the Welsh Government’s handling of education and behaviour in schools, saying the situation at Flint High reflected a national problem.
Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education, Natasha Asghar MS, said: “The rise in poor pupil behaviour against staff and fellow pupils in schools across Wales is growing ever more worrisome. Teachers should be able to go to work free from fear and intimidation, able to focus on delivering the best lessons possible so that pupils leave school equipped with the tools they need to succeed in life.”
She added that her party had brought forward a Senedd debate on school behaviour and discipline, saying: “The Welsh Conservatives are committed to fixing Labour and Plaid Cymru’s broken education system, to improve educational outcomes and restore discipline.”
North Wales MS Sam Rowlands said: “Labour have lost control in our schools and this situation highlights exactly why Wales needs a robust behaviour strategy to restore discipline and order. No teacher should feel unsafe or undermined in their workplace, and no child’s education should suffer because of poor behaviour that goes unchallenged.”
Estyn, the education and training inspectorate for Wales, has confirmed that Flint High School will undergo a core inspection between 10 and 13 November 2025. The visit will assess areas including leadership, pupil behaviour and staff wellbeing.
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