Ban for teacher who hit pupil with ruler

Farooq Ahmed was a teacher at Oasis Academy Lister Park when the incidents happened, a panel heard

A teacher at a school in Bradford has been banned from the profession indefinitely after being found to have hit a pupil with a ruler during an art lesson.

Farooq Ahmed, a teacher at Oasis Academy Lister Park, was also found to have pushed and/or kicked a chair on which another pupil was sitting during the same lesson in 2023.

A virtual teacher misconduct panel hearing held last month upheld the allegations against Mr Ahmed, finding that his actions breached the school's policy on physical contact with students.

The panel heard Mr Ahmed had accepted a conditional caution from West Yorkshire Police in January last year for assault by beating in connection with the incident involving the ruler.

A spokesperson for the school said Mr Ahmed had left his position in 2024 and added that the safety and wellbeing of students was the organisation's "highest priority".

A report outlining the misconduct panel's findings stated that CCTV from the school taken on 24 November 2023 showed Mr Ahmed in one incident "pushing a chair on which a child was sat".

It added that Mr Ahmed could then be seen "leaning on the desk to steady himself" and that "his leg moved towards the chair".

The misconduct panel's report said that "the child flinches and it appeared to the panel to be a reasonable inference that Mr Ahmed had kicked the chair upon which the child was still sitting".

'No physical contact'

The report stated that Mr Ahmed's representative provided a response to the allegation, saying the teacher accepted he did move the chair on which the pupil was sitting, but that the pupil had also lifted up to move the chair under the table.

It was stated that Mr Ahmed accepted that the contact was made by his foot to the chair, but denied this was a kick.

According to the misconduct panel's report, further CCTV footage of another incident during the same lesson showed Mr Ahmed "flicked a ruler, which appeared to make contact with [another pupil's] arm".

In his defence, Mr Ahmed said that when collecting classroom resources at the end of a lesson, he had picked up the pupil's equipment quickly and had taken a pencil out of the pupil's hand "by the top of the pencil".

He added: "I made no physical contact with him, however, upon reflection, I was holding a set of rulers in my hand and there is a slim possibility the ruler may have brushed his hand."

A Teaching Regulation Authority misconduct hearing panel in September, consisting of three people, including a former teacher, a current teacher and a layperson, found both allegations proven.

Mr Ahmed was indefinitely prohibited from teaching and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England.

He may apply for the prohibition order to be set aside, but not until 2027, two years from the date of this order at the earliest, the panel ruled.

Mr Ahmed has a right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days from the date he is given notice of the order.

A spokesperson for Oasis Academy Lister Park said the matter had been "swiftly" referred to the Teacher Regulation Agency.

"Safeguarding and the wellbeing of our young people is always our highest priority," the said.

"We expect the highest standards of professionalism from all staff and take any breach of those standards extremely seriously."

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