Two pupils have been excluded from Ernulf Academy after a teacher was seriously injured as the result of a student brawl.

According to a source within the school, a member of staff stepped in to break up a fight, which resulted in her breaking her pelvis and arm.

In a second incident, a staff member was punched in the face by a pupil and sustained bruising.

The source, who has asked not to be named, claims the incidents are indicative of wider disruptive behaviour at the school and has raised concerns about staffing levels and lack of support for staff.

The Hunts Post has also been told that “pupils with special needs are being failed” and the schools’ leadership has its “head in the sand” and refuses to acknowledge some serious issues.

“The support for students is so weak, due to teachers leaving left, right and centre, that this sort of behaviour is tolerated and staff are attacked. The leadership appear to have their heads in the sand and even being in Astrea is not sorting things out. Ernulf is massively underfunded and has less teaching assistants than ever to support special needs children with disruptive behaviour and more. The special needs department is weak, as students do not receive direct support from teachers,” the source said.

The Hunts Post has also been made aware that three senior members of staff have left the school in the last few months.

Former chief executive officer, Rick Carroll, resigned in December last year, Longsands head, Martin Paine has left the school in the last month, and Andrew Rowe, former director of estates and learning for the former St Neots Learning Partnership, has also gone.

Responding to the incident on the staff member who suffered two broken bones, the Astrea Trust said in a short statement: “There was an incident in school in which a member of staff was inadvertently injured during an altercation between two pupils. Both pupils were excluded as this behaviour falls well short of our expectations at Astrea.”

The other matters raised by the source have been put to Astrea and the Hunts Post is waiting for a response.