Concerns among staff did not go unnoticed by older students
Sarah Lumley Multimedia Reporter
06:00, 12 Oct 2026
Westonbirt School near Tetbury, where staff are planning to take six days of strike action(Image: Julie Meadows)
A former pupil at a top school says he is ‘not surprised’ staff are planning to strike this week – claiming he saw teachers ‘on edge’ and even one in ‘floods of tears’ following a change in leadership.
The ex-student, who finished his seven years of schooling at Westonbirt School near Tetbury this summer, said the ‘atmosphere changed’ after a new headteacher took over in January this year.
He recalled seeing teachers ‘visibly upset’ and said pupils felt ‘scared’ to ask about whether their work had been marked, or when they would get homework grades back, in case of causing further pressure.
The sixth-form graduate alleged he witnessed a dramatic row between a PE teacher and a new senior staff member in an outdoor area of the school, reportedly culminating in the teacher quitting within earshot of pupils.
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Six days of strike action are scheduled across this month and next month, with teachers’ union the NASUWT citing a ‘culture of fear’ created under the new leadership.
The trust that oversees the all-through private school said only a “small number” of staff are involved and that if the strikes go ahead, there will be no significant disruption for pupils. It said the school upholds a “workplace environment that is underpinned by kindness, a collective sense of purpose, opportunities for fun and connection, and strong communication with a commitment to reflection that leads to fantastic results for our pupils”.
The first day of action is scheduled for this Wednesday, October 14, though GloucestershireLive understands talks are ongoing between school leaders and the union in hope of averting this.
Following coverage of the strikes, one alumnus, who did not wish to be named, said he is “surprised it has taken this long” for industrial action to be planned.
He said: “I saw this coming for a long time, I’m not surprised at all. I’m just surprised it has taken this long.
“When the new headteacher came in, the atmosphere changed for pupils as well. The teachers were more on edge and would come into class visibly upset or in a bad mood, which made everyone feel on edge.
“It became a regular talk in the Sixth Form common room about which teachers were in a bad mood, and why.
“We had to go to a two-hour assembly about all of the new changes and the teachers were told they must mark homework within seven days, and it had to be of a certain quality of marking. They didn’t say what would happen, but it felt like it was ‘or else’.
“The teachers told us they were really struggling to keep up with the amount of marking, especially in bigger departments like Maths or English which are taught to every year group. We would often get told they were behind.”
The pupil also recalled one instance in which one of his teachers left a class in ‘floods of tears’.
He said: “One of the pupils asked whether our work had been marked yet, and the teacher had to leave the room for about 20 minutes, in floods of tears. It made us wonder what was happening, and whether we were causing it.
“We were scared to ask simple questions about when we would get our work back, it was a sore subject. But when you’re in Year 13 and working towards exams, that’s not great.”
Things reportedly came to a head during the pupil’s final term at the school, when he claims a row broke out publicly between two staff members.
He said: “It was in a part of the school where anyone could have seen, even the Year 7s.
“It almost got physical, and it ended when the PE teacher threw his lanyard and said, ‘that’s it, I quit’. It was a shame, because he was quite well-liked.”
When asked about the ex-pupil’s account, a representative of NASUWT claimed the union had received similar reports earlier this year from members working at the school.
And a spokesperson for Wishford Trust, which runs Westonbirt School, did not respond directly to the ex-pupil’s claims, but instead said: “Our focus is on working collaboratively with the union to resolve concerns.
“School leadership and the union had a constructive meeting this week and another meeting is planned for next week, with the aim of avoiding the need for strike action.”
A previous statement from the trust added: “Change always brings challenges, but we will continue to engage meaningfully with all staff to ensure that we create the best possible environment for our children, who remain at the centre of everything we do and every change we make. We do not anticipate any significant impact of this strike action on the day-to-day running of the school.
“Our term has started with an enormous amount of positivity for students and staff, with exciting new opportunities for our pupils, and measures such as the creation of a Common Room Leadership Representative.
“This key role underlines Westonbirt’s commitment to creating a workplace environment that is underpinned by kindness, a collective sense of purpose, opportunities for fun and connection, and strong communication with a commitment to reflection that leads to fantastic results for our pupils.”