Teacher ‘slapped primary school pupil in the face’, hearing told

APRIMARY school teacher assaulted a pupil when she slapped them in the face during a lesson.

Rebecca Gooch was employed as a teacher at Glanhowy Primary School, in Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, last year when the incident occurred.

She resigned from the school shortly afterwards, having received a caution from Gwent Police for common assault.

Ms Gooch appeared in front of an Education Workforce Council (EWC) fitness to practise committee hearing yesterday.

The former teacher is accused of squeezing the hand of the child, known as Pupil A in proceedings, which she denies, and of assaulting Pupil A, which she accepts.

She is also accused of “unacceptable professional conduct”, which she accepts in relation to the latter charge but denies in relation to the former charge.

Despite Ms Gooch’s denial of squeezing Pupil A’s hand, her line manager, Dawn Warrell, said she had demonstrated how she had “squeezed” the pupil’s hand and claimed Ms Gooch said she knew she was hurting them.

Speaking at the EWC hearing at The Copthorne Hotel, in Cardiff, presenting officer Sara Lewis said: “Ms Gooch had a conversation with Dawn Warrell about Pupil A. Ms Gooch told her there had been an incident when Pupil A was being difficult and Ms Gooch had to block their path.

“Ms Gooch is said to have told Ms Warrell she stood in the way so Pupil A couldn’t get past her and held their hand really tightly and said she knew she was hurting them. She also demonstrated how she had been holding Pupil’s A hand.

“There was another incident between Ms Gooch and Pupil A which culminated in Ms Gooch slapping Pupil A in the face. Ms Gooch was interviewed by police and subsequently cautioned for an offence of assault.”

Independent investigator Heather Jones gave evidence at the hearing, where she gave details of interviews she conducted with staff members, Pupil A’s family and Ms Gooch.

Recounting her interview with Michelle Edwards, who witnessed the assault, Ms Jones said: “Ms Edwards confirmed she saw Ms Gooch hit Pupil A. She saw Ms Gooch’s glasses fly off her face when Pupil A jumped up at her, Ms Gooch put her left hand up to her face, looked at her hand and used her right hand in a downward motion to slap Pupil A on the side of the face.”

The hearing heard that Ms Gooch ran out of the classroom and shouted to Ms Warrell she had “hit Pupil A” before she ran to the bathroom.

Ms Jones spoke to Pupil A’s mother, who said she was telephoned by the head teacher and informed her child had been assaulted. She said Pupil A did not want to return to school and was “frightened”.

She also said her child had a bruise to the side of the face.

Ms Warrell also gave evidence at the hearing in which she told the committee she and another member of staff had been assaulted by Pupil A in the run-up to the incident.

She admitted Pupil A was a “challenging and difficult” child.

When asked by EWC committee chairman Richard Parry Jones if she wanted to say anything, Ms Gooch broke down in tears and said: “I am extremely sorry for what happened.”

Ms Gooch, who now works in central government, said she could not see herself returning to the teaching profession.

The hearing continues.