Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy found to use shouting as routine practice
Sir Alan Wood’s review concludes shouting was cultural, not individual, affecting pupils and staff alike
News London evidence indexOpen analysis ▾
Includes named sources (Peter Hughes, Christy Kulz) and cites the Wood review and staff survey.
Higher is stronger
Explains impact on pupils and staff, quotes affected parties, and provides specific figures and dates.
Higher is stronger
Headline is vivid but body remains factual and detailed, avoiding exaggerated claims.
Lower is better
Shouting at pupils was a routine practice at Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy (MVPA), not an exception, according to a review led by Sir Alan Wood and published in December 2025. The report concluded the behaviour was cultural, affecting both pupils and staff, and not limited to individual lapses. Evidence gathered by Wood’s team spanned 15 years, linking practices at MVPA to those documented at the federation’s founding school, Mossbourne Community Academy in Hackney Downs.
Shouting as an institutional expectation
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Wood’s review described shouting as an expectation rather than a failure of temper. A teacher at MVPA told the review they were made aware that empathy was considered a weakness, and raising one’s voice was a requirement. Similar accounts emerged from Christy Kulz’s 2013 doctoral thesis, which documented practices at Mossbourne Community Academy. Kulz, who worked at the school for six years, recorded advice given to new teachers: shouting at pupils in public would reflect well with senior management.
The review found leaders at MVPA were instructed to "make their presence known" by publicly reprimanding pupils. Staff development sessions included discussions about pupils requiring a "healthy fear" of teachers. One allegation claimed a former leader filtered out job applicants who would not shout at children. Peter Hughes, chief executive of the Mossbourne Federation, told the review he does not personally shout but sees no inherent problem with the practice if it is not used to belittle or coerce.
Impact on staff and governance failures
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The review highlighted a toxic environment for staff as well as pupils. A teacher told Wood: "I don’t think I was ever spoken to in anything other than a raised voice by the SLT, but this wasn’t just me, many teachers were regularly shouted at." Another described the environment as "brutal", based on threats for both students and teachers. The safeguarding partnership’s survey, which received only 13 responses, reported staff being shouted at to the point of crying, ridiculed, or personally insulted.
Wood’s review found governance at MVPA did not meet the Department for Education’s standards for behavioural oversight. The central board’s safeguarding lead had repeatedly escalated concerns about children being screamed at in public areas, but assurances were not provided. The chair of MVPA’s governing body, who conceded some staff were known to be "shouty", maintained the behaviour was neither systemic nor planned. Henry Colthurst, who chaired the central board throughout the review’s five-year window, left his post on 2 March 2026.
What happens next
Wood’s review made 12 recommendations, including mechanisms to protect staff who raise concerns about the behaviour policy from retribution. It is unclear what steps the Mossbourne Federation or Hackney Council have taken in response. The federation has not publicly addressed the review’s findings beyond Hughes’ comments to the review team. Hackney Council, which commissioned the report, has not yet outlined its next actions.
Questions this report answers
+What did Sir Alan Wood’s review find about shouting at Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy?
The review concluded shouting at pupils was a routine, cultural practice, not an exception. It described the behaviour as humiliating and intimidating, affecting both pupils and staff. Evidence included staff testimony and a 2013 doctoral thesis documenting similar practices at the federation’s founding school.
+How many staff responded to the review’s survey?
Only 13 staff members responded to the survey, eight of them in leadership roles. The review noted the thin response from junior staff and suggested fear of retribution may have discouraged participation. The survey formed part of the evidence about a toxic environment for staff.
+What did Peter Hughes say about shouting at the school?
Peter Hughes, chief executive of the Mossbourne Federation, told the review he does not personally shout but sees no inherent problem with the practice if it is not used to belittle or coerce. He did not address whether he had observed or sanctioned public shouting episodes by colleagues.
+What happens next after the review?
The review made 12 recommendations, including protections for staff who raise concerns. It is unclear what steps the Mossbourne Federation or Hackney Council have taken in response. Neither has publicly outlined next actions following the report’s publication in December 2025.
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