Teacher threatened to break pupil’s arm

Reporter: DAWN MARSDEN
Date online: 25 November 2009

A TEACHER was found guilty of using physical contact to inappropriately reprimand a child at a Failsworth primary school.

At a hearing of the General Teaching Council, supply teacher Grace Astley faced two allegations relating to Mather Street Primary and a further four relating to a Catholic primary school in Blackburn, including threatening to break a pupil’s arm if she continued to misbehave.

Mrs Astley, of Clitheroe, was ordered to go on a behaviour management course after the GTC found her guilty of unacceptable professional conduct.

Complaints relating to Mather Street Primary refer to an incident on February 26 when Mrs Astley, who was employed through Liverpool-based agency Supreme Education and Oldham Council, inappropriately reprimanded a pupil and in doing so made physical contact.

She was also found guilty of using inappropriate methods of behaviour management. At Sacred Heart RC Primary in Blackburn, Mrs Astley was found guilty of threatening to break a pupil’s arm, speaking in an inappropriate manner to teaching assistants, using her mobile phone during break time and using inappropriate methods of behaviour management.

In its report, the hearing committee said: “These examples of behaviour fell short of the standards expected of a registered teacher and was a breach of the standards of propriety expected of the profession. For these reasons, the committee has considered that the facts as admitted do amount to unacceptable professional conduct.”

Committee panel members said they were concerned that the complaints listed were not isolated incidents and that Mrs Astley had not taken any rehabilitative or corrective steps since the events.

Mrs Astley must also attend a course on the management and classroom deployment of support staff but she will not face a suspension.