Nottingham teacher banned after putting pupil in headlock

Westbury Academy is run by the Raleigh Education Trust

A teacher has been banned from the profession after he grabbed a pupil and put him in a headlock.

Matthew Stendall ordered the student to leave his class at the Westbury Academy in Nottingham in December 2020, but he refused.

The teacher grabbed the pupil, put him in a headlock and marched him down a corridor, then threatened to do the same to others who did not behave.

He has now been given an indefinite ban by a Teaching Regulation Agency panel.

Mr Stendall began working at the school in November 2015 but had several extended periods off with sickness between September 2019 and November 2020, the panel heard.

In a report by the agency, witnesses said Mr Stendall, now 50, had seemed stressed and was shouting at pupils before the incident.

Mr Stendall said the pupil, named in the report as Pupil A, was "disruptive" in the lesson, with a witness saying he had been making noises, describing him as "sulky" but not violent.

Mr Stendall claimed Pupil A became angry after he was ordered out of the classroom and started to "violently and aggressively kick out".

But the teacher's allegations were rejected due to the accounts of other witnesses.

Mr Stendall marched the pupil down a corridor in a headlock and past other classrooms.

The panel heard he then returned to his class and said words to the effect of: "If this noise and behaviour carries on, I'll be doing the same to you - putting you in a headlock like [Pupil A] - do I make myself clear?"

Matthew Stendall worked at Westbury Academy before he was banned from teaching

He was suspended from the academy on 9 December and left the Raleigh Education Trust in January 2021.

No police action was deemed necessary.

The panel's written decision said it found all the allegations proven, which meant Mr Stendall was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.

It added: "The panel considered that Mr Stendall had shown no real insight into his behaviour. In particular, the panel noted that Mr Stendall was initially dishonest about his conduct during the academy's investigation.

"Whilst the panel had noted that Mr Stendall had since accepted responsibility for his actions, no remorse had been offered and there was no recognition of the impact on Pupil A, other pupils who had witnessed the incident, or colleagues."

Mr Stendall was not present at the hearing and was not represented.

The Raleigh Education Trust said: "The Trust has been informed of the TRA's decision regarding a former employee.

"The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and our staff share this dedication."