Teacher who assaulted special needs pupil banned

Gary Foster started teaching at Crookhey Hall School in Cockerham in 2009

A Lancashire teacher who assaulted a student at a special needs school by repeatedly hitting him against a wall has been banned from the profession for life.

Gary Foster, 46, started teaching at Crookhey Hall School in Cockerham in 2009 but was sacked after he "acted outside the remit of physical intervention", a professional conduct panel heard.

Panel members said he had shown only "limited remorse" for his actions.

Foster was jailed in August 2023 for 10 weeks and ordered to pay £200 compensation to the boy after he was convicted at Preston Magistrates' Court of battery.

'Grabbed the boy'

The panel said it noted comments from the court that Foster "manhandled a child three times and caused physical harm and distress".

Members also considered a police report that said he "grabbed" the boy, known as Pupil A, "by the shoulder of his coat roughly and pushed him into the chair" and then "grabs him by the jacket and pushes him against the corner of the room near the door".

"It appears he is hitting him against the wall repeatedly," the report went on, even though Pupil A had "not offered any violence".

The panel noted Foster accepted that he "acted outside of the prescribed physical intervention protocols when removing Pupil A from the classroom" which caters for children aged 10 to 17.

'Indefinite ban'

Foster was said to have shown only "limited remorse" and there was "no evidence" he "demonstrated exceptionally high standards in his personal and professional conduct, nor that he had contributed significantly to the education sector".

The panel went on to say: "Bearing in mind Mr Foster was an experienced teacher in that setting who undertook regular training, the panel considered the risk of repetition of such behaviour by Mr Foster to be high."

Members said teachers must treat students "with dignity, building relationships rooted in mutual respect, and at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher's professional position".

Foster was banned from teaching indefinitely and is not entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.

He was, however, given 28 days to appeal to the High Court.