Teacher caught hitting pupil on head
ATEACHER was caught on CCTV camera hitting a pupil twice on the head and pulling his ear in class.
Heather Davies was teaching a maths lesson in an IT suite at Afon Taf High School in Merthyr Tydfil when her actions were recorded, a fitness to practise hearing was told.
The pupil, referred to only as Pupil A to protect his identity, said he was hurt and Miss Davies’ “long nails” caught him on the temple.
The experienced teacher, who did not attend the remote Education Workforce Council (EWC) hearing and was not represented as a result, apologised profusely in writing, but made no formal pleas to allegations that she hit Pupil A.
In comments read to the panel, Miss Davies, a basic skills teacher who had worked at Afon Taf High since 2013, said her actions were meant in a “jocular” way and not to be aggressive or malicious. She described herself as
“clipping” rather than hitting Pupil A, said she “absolutely loves” teaching, and was “devastated” this could now be in jeopardy.
The EWC panel was shown CCTV footage captured in the classroom on October 8, 2019. The film showed Miss Davies hitting Pupil A with her left hand on his left temple and using her right hand to hit the back of his head, the hearing was told.
EWC presenting officer Patrick Llewelyn said: “[Miss Davies] said she tapped rather than hit, but I would submit, having viewed the footage, that ‘tap’ is not the most appropriate word for that physical contact.”
He went on: “This was the invasion of another person’s physical space, touching of their body without consent.”
He said the ears were a particularly sensitive part of the body.
Mr Llewelyn said Pupil A was described as “lively and sometimes disruptive”, but had not been disruptive at the time. He had said afterwards he was hurt, but had suffered no long-term harm.
The hearing was told that a teaching assistant who had been in the classroom at the time raised the matter with the school. The footage was seen by senior staff and Miss Davies was suspended the following day while an internal investigation was launched.
Miss Davies told the school she did not dispute what had happened, but the way it was being construed, the panel was told.
She said she had “clipped” Pupil A and wiggled his ear to say “well done” for moving seats at the beginning of the lesson.
Carolyn Meade, who took part in the school’s internal investigation, told the panel a learning support assistant and some pupils had seen what happened.
Pupil A acknowledged he had been talking to friends and Miss Davies had asked him to move seats to be closer to her desk.
Mrs Meade said Pupil A, who she described as “low ability with behavioural issues”, had said he planned to tell someone what happened but was asked to in any case.
The committee found the allegations made against Miss Davies proved. In a written statement, read to the hearing by Mr Griffiths, Miss Davies said: “I am truly sorry for any upset or hurt. I absolutely love being a teacher. I am devastated this is in jeopardy because of this.”
She added that she had “learned a big lesson” and will “never do anything like this again”.
Finding all the allegations against Miss Davies proven, the committee found that together they amounted to unacceptable professional conduct.
Committee chairman Helen Robbins said the CCTV footage was “incontrovertible evidence”.
Delivering the panel’s decision, she said the recording showed Miss Davies “clearly touching Pupil A’s ear in a manner of shaking not pulling”.
Shortly afterwards the film showed her making contact with the left side and then the back of Pupil A’s head. She said the level of force used was “more than trivial”, that pupils have a right to feel safe at school, and Miss Davies, an experienced teacher, showed “disregard for her duties”.
“Her behaviour crossed a threshold,” Miss Robbins said. The panel issued Miss Davies with an official reprimand, which will stay on her record for two years.
Miss Davies has 28 days to appeal to the High Court.
Miss Robbins said that Miss Davies had a previously unblemished career, appeared to be well-regarded, and had shown some insight.
“This is not a case where there was an ongoing risk,” she added.