Teacher banned after inappropriate restraint

Mr Stepnowski started teaching at the school in 2018

A maths teacher has been banned from the profession after he inappropriately restrained a pupil on a football pitch.

A misconduct panel concluded Olaf Stepnowski, who taught at the Braybrook Centre, Lawnswood Campus in Wolverhampton, most likely "swept the legs from underneath the pupil to move them to the floor."

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel found that the student had acted aggressively towards Mr Stepnowski, but that he had ample opportunity to de-escalate the incident without resorting to restraint.

The teacher, who had worked at the pupil referral unit since 2018, refused to attend the hearing and said the system was "morally corrupt".

The panel was presented with evidence including CCTV images and three written statements from Mr Stepnowski describing the incident, but members found his evidence to be inconsistent.

The panel heard he asked the pupil to "stop it" after the young person shouted at him and attempted to push him over, but ruled this was not an "effective attempt" to verbally de-escalate the situation.

It also found that he could have called for other staff assistance or removed himself from the incident, as it happened outdoors.

In failing to do so, the technique used by Mr Stepnowski was deemed "unnecessary" and "inappropriate", as the restraint method was outside the school's intervention policy.

When notified about the hearing, he responded that he had "no trust in any proceedings" and "no interest in the panel's decisions".

'Unacceptable professional misconduct'

He had received management advice from his employer regarding physical intervention with pupils on at least two separate occasions, leading the panel to find "compelling evidence" that his actions were deliberate.

Acting on the panel's findings on behalf of the education secretary, TRA chief executive Marc Cavey was satisfied Mr Stepnowski was guilty of "unacceptable professional misconduct" and prohibited him from teaching indefinitely.

He authorised a two-year review period, after which Mr Stepnowski may appeal for the prohibition order to be removed.

The Braybrook Centre has been approached for a comment.