Nearly three in 10 teachers have been hit, punched or kicked (Image: Caiaimage/Martin Barraud/Getty Images)
Nine out of 10 said they suffered physical or verbal abuse in the last year, about a quarter said pupils were assaulting them at least once a week - and four per cent said it was every day. The poll of 4,912 staff by the NASUWT union also found 86 per cent of staff had been sworn at and more than two out of five threatened. Nearly three in 10 have been hit, punched or kicked, and 39 per cent shoved or barged. Some were also spat at, head-butted, and had personal property damaged.
One teacher said: "I feel unsafe in my place of work, and I feel like I have had all of my powers to deal with unruly behaviour stripped away."
Another, who has since left teaching, said: "Having taught for almost 40 years I have witnessed a demonstrable and seemingly unstoppable deterioration in pupil behaviour.
"Teachers are, it seems, now expected to tolerate verbal abuse and threats as par for the course and, quite literally, an occupational
