Liphook Bohunt School teacher banned from profession

The teacher no longer works at Bohunt School in Liphook

A design and food technology teacher has been banned from the profession after slapping a pupil during a lesson.

Katherine Veitch, who worked at Bohunt School in Liphook, admitted beating a pupil in the classroom in January 2020.

A conduct panel described the incident as "a one-off slap to the pupil's face" and said there was no evidence that this caused "an injury or long lasting effect".

The prohibition order could be reviewed after April 2024.

According to an official report, when interviewed shortly after the incident by the police, Ms Veitch claimed she could not recall having slapped a pupil in the classroom.

However, she did fully admit her conduct in court, and was given credit for her guilty plea, the report says.

The panel found that Ms Veitch "was responsible for an offence of violence against a pupil", but it said "her conduct had been towards the lower end of any spectrum of seriousness".

'A clear breach'

The panel also noted that Ms Veitch had shown "limited insight and remorse into her actions".

It said however that panel members took into account "Ms Veitch's personal circumstances at the time".

The official report revealed that Ms Veitch had been employed at the school between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2020, and that on 22 September 2020 she was convicted of assaulting a pupil by beating him.

Her behaviour did not lead to a sentence of imprisonment, the panel said.

However, it was found that Ms Veitch's actions were "deliberate and amounted to a clear breach of the Teachers' Standards".

She will be able to apply for the prohibition order to be set aside, but not until 29 April 2024.

Without a successful application, Ms Veitch remains prohibited from teaching indefinitely, the report says.

A spokesperson for Bohunt School said: "The safety and wellbeing of all our students is our number one priority, and we are clear that the actions of this individual were unacceptable and entirely opposed to the high standards that we uphold.

"Following the incident, which took place in January 2020, we took immediate action to suspend the member of staff, who following police and internal investigations, was shortly after dismissed.

"We closely followed all our robust safeguarding and reporting procedures, which has led to the recent decision being made by the Teaching Regulation Authority."