Educating Yorkshire’s headteacher was seen breaking down in tears after a student threatened to ‘burn down his home’ in the latest episode of the Channel 4 series.
Viewers were left horrified when the teenage student began hitting out at Mr Burton, as cameras followed him storming off school grounds after an angry rant.
The popular show, which was first launched in 2013, was brought back by Channel 4 this year to follow the same school in Dewsbury, Yorkshire.
It follows the ups and downs of school life, from the perspective of the school’s head, former English teacher Matthew, the Academy’s teachers and groups of its students.
On Sunday night, the episode took a dive into the challenges that come with the teaching profession, including the difficult behaviour some staff have to face.
Cameras followed as one teacher took a student out of his class, and tried to talk him down after noticing he’d become ‘angry’ during the lesson.
Educating Yorkshire’s headteacher was seen breaking down in tears after a student threatened to ‘burn down his home’ in the latest episode of the Channel 4 series
Viewers were left horrified when the teenage student began hitting out at Mr Burton, as cameras followed him storming off school grounds after an angry rant
He was escorted away from the classroom after Mr Burton was called in for back up, with fellow staff members telling the head teacher ‘had to come to his office’ to help deal with the worsening situation.
‘He’s making threats to you, threats to your house and threats to burn the school down,’ another member of staff told Mr Burton before the intervention.
‘He needs to leave site, I’ve spoken to his mum and mum has given him permission to leave, so we just need to escort him offsite,’ another added.
A third explained: ‘He’s not in a state of mind to even have a conversation.’
The student was seen punching at school property as he was escorted away by four members of staff, as Mr Burton returned to the office and put his head in his hands.
Speaking to assistant headteacher Mrs Delaney-Hudson, he became emotional as he explained that he was struggling to come to terms with the student’s threats.
Mr Burton said: ‘I know he’s going through a lot… But I’ve got three little ones at home. You deal with it, don’t you, but to threaten to burn my house down and do all that stuff, that’s not right.’
He added to the cameras: ‘The minute that you think the job is easy, or you’ve got a really easy day in front of you, something will happen to change that.’
Mr Burton became emotional as he explained that he was struggling to come to terms with the student’s threats
Viewers took to X to react to the scenes, hitting out that Mr Burton should have ‘called the police’ as they were left distressed seeing him reduced to tears.
One wrote: ‘I’d have called the police if someone had threatened to burn my house/ the school down,’ as a second added: ‘Nobody should be reduced to tears at work.’
It comes after former student Musharaf Asghar made his emotional return to Thornhill Academy in an episode earlier this series.
The tear-jerking moment saw Musharaf, 29, who now works as a motivational speaker, reunited with the teacher who changed his life.
12 years ago, Musharaf took to the stage in front of his school to deliver a speech, leaving many of his fellow students in floods of tears.
He has now made his return to the academy to speak to the current Year 11s about his experience, and had an emotional reunion with Mr Burton along the way.
He appeared as part of a ‘mystery guest assembly’ to inspire the anxious students preparing to sit their GCSEs by explaining what life was like before overcoming his speech impediment, and the process he went through at school.
Musharaf first starred on Educating Yorkshire, which followed on from the Bafta winning series Educating Essex, in 2013.
Educating Yorkshire continues Sunday on Channel 4 at 8pm.
