Halifax special needs teacher struck off for assaulting pupil

A former special needs teacher who kicked a "vulnerable" pupil and pulled his hair before lying about the incident has been struck off.

Harriet Coleman, who worked at Wood Bank School in Halifax, initially denied the incident in January 2022 before changing her account.

She pleaded guilty to assault with battery at Bradford Magistrates' Court in May 2022.

Coleman was permanently barred from teaching after a misconduct hearing.

At her sentencing, she was given a 12-month community order, with rehabilitation activity for 20 days and 150 days of unpaid work.

Coleman was also ordered to pay her victim £500 compensation and pay a £95 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.

The misconduct hearing was told she "presented a positive and caring demeanour in her statement obfuscating the true nature of the incident" on 26 January 2022.

Coleman told a meeting the next day, "I promise I didn't kick him," and denied pulling his hair.

But she changed her account when CCTV evidence emerged.

The panel described her victim as vulnerable and said his behaviour "did not appear exceptional and there was no evidence of appropriate strategies being used to de-escalate the situation".

Wood Bank School is a primary school for children with special educational needs and severe learning difficulties. Coleman had been employed there since September 2021.

The hearing was told Coleman had been under "emotional pressure" immediately prior to the incident.

The panel said that although she had "acknowledged her wrongdoing" through her guilty plea, it was "concerned that little remorse or insight was shown, particularly in respect of the impact on the pupil involved".

She did not attend the hearing in February to defend herself.

The panel "could not be confident" there was no longer a risk of her repeating her actions.

Deciding on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, Sarah Buxcey agreed to bar Coleman from teaching without the possibility of a future review.

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