School atmosphere toxic at the mo

[lavenderbongo]

Hi. I should start by saying I’m not in th UK but schools in this country are very much like the UK and full of English expats.
My school has had a falling role for a few years and some bad Ofsted equivalent reports.
They have brought statutory management in and now the SLT are understandably very stressed and the staff are worried. This has caused the SLT to withdraw amongst themselves and the staff have felt out of the loop and rather abandoned.
Our head, is normally very nice but is a bit volatile and not good at being questioned. She has been known to shout aggressively st staff when asked about decisions she has made so a lot of staff are wary of questioning her.
At a meeting on Monday one of TA confronted a teacher accusing her of talking about her in the staff room and saying that the TA was spying for the head. It was a really horrible and aggressive confrontation. The teacher has subsequently been off all week with stress.
The whole school atmosphere is just really horrible and oppressive. I feel we can no longer talk to each other or look for support - there is no one to give support either!
Has anyone been through similar.

Bump

This sounds tough. Sounds like your head / management is weak and can't cope with the demands so are turning to bullying and creating this unpleasantness that filters down to everyone.

Are you primary or secondary?

Can you keep your head down until the end of term?

Hi. I’m secondary. Due to the country I’m in we are only half way through the academic year!
But only two weeks to go till a two week holiday 😊

Yes I have been through similar. Unfortunately it only improved when the HT left and someone else started. It was a completely new atmosphere almost overnight.

I worked somewhere with a similar atmosphere. A weak head who liked others to assume power and boss the staff about so that she wouldn't have to and to keep us in line. Also the head believed we needed to be micro-managed to the nth degree we couldn't be trusted. It meant several people revelled in bossy/nasty school-wide emails, staff room cliches and staff bullying. The worst place I have worked in terms of staff relations.

Thanks all. I do think the only way things will change is if the head changes. I am actively looking for another job but I rather like this school and the kids are awesome plus it’s only 10 minutes from home!
But it’s such an awful atmosphere and environment to work in! I’m just keeping my head down and focusing on my own department and making sure that’s okay.