A TEACHER has been ordered to go on a behaviour management course after threatening to leave a pupil with her arm in a sling.
Supply teacher Grace Astley suggested that if the girl didn't stop misbehaving she would end up with an injured arm.
An education watchdog received a string of complaints about the primary teacher while she was employed at schools in Oldham and Blackburn.
As well as threatening the pupil, the temporary teacher insulted classroom assistants and was distracted from playground supervision duties by her mobile phone.
The complaints related to work at a Catholic primary school in Blackburn in April 2008.
She was also found guilty of using physical contact to inappropriately reprimand a pupil at Mather Street primary, Failsworth, in February this year.
Mrs Astley, who was not represented, has now been found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct by General Teaching Council.
A three-person panel agreed with all the allegations and said the teacher had failed to take reasonable care of pupils.
Their written ruling stated that the manner in which she dealt with the pupil and the threat about her arm ending up in a sling were unacceptable.
It said: “The committee had similar concerns as to the manner in which Mrs Astley made gesticulations in close proximity to the children in her care which could have been frightening.
“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.”
Teaching assistants at Sacred Heart RC primary, Blackburn, were among those who gave evidence against Mrs Astley during the one-day hearing in Birmingham.
The disciplinary panel agreed the teacher had a previously good record and had shown real regret but said her worrying behaviour had not been isolated.
However they agreed to allow the teacher, of Whalley Road, Sabden, Clitheroe, to stay in the classroom but she was ordered to attend a five-day behaviour management course and a course on how to manage support staff.
Mrs Astley, who was employed through Liverpool-based agency Supreme Education and Oldham Council, was unavailable for comment.
Oldham Council said Mrs Astley had not worked at any of their schools since May this year. The agency said the teacher was no longer on their books.
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Showing comments 1 to 6 and replies | View All
tiggerluc, somewhere in shaw (24/11/2009 at 15:08)
garfield (24/11/2009 at 16:10)
Esso Blue. Anything that is possible no matter how unlikely, happens all the time, Manchester (24/11/2009 at 16:25)
MancLadUK, Manchester (24/11/2009 at 22:33)
The Teacher may be in the wrong here, but what were the circumstances? I have friends who teach and they take some serious flack, assaults and abuse and not once do you see these things hitting the press.
northred, prestwich (25/11/2009 at 00:55)
Unlike the police officer who put the lives of his colleagues and public in danger else where in MEN and he resigned.. or the yobs who actually break peoples arms and get 20 hours community fun.
When do we get a sense of reality.
Luke O,zade, NRW Germany (25/11/2009 at 09:51)
nowadays.
The kids today are antagonising, irritating little "Toerags" towards their peers, their parents are no better because the kids are not disciplined at home.
They have got the teachers by the short and curlies and they know it, some of them set out to deliberatley wind them up.
It is difficult enough trying to educate these ingrates as it is, without the disruption, insults, violence toward the teachers.
The system needs a shake up, and more support for the Teachers, instead of this spineless attitude of , the pupil is not guilty of anything.
It is the pupils who are bringing the system in to disrepute.