A primary school teacher has been banned from teaching after calling a student a “brat” and hitting another’s head on a doorframe as she dragged them out of class.
Corinne Culver, 34, worked at Tiger Primary School in Maidstone, Kent, from 2012 to March 2019, when she was suspended and resigned.
Ms Culver used inappropriate force on the students between November 2018 and February 2019, according to a professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency.
She was accused of grabbing one girl’s hand so forcefully that her feet left the ground before dragging her out of the classroom, forcing the girl to bang her head on the door frame.
On another occasion, the teacher was accused of carrying the same student from behind by wrapping both arms around her torso.
The most recent incident was captured on the school’s surveillance system.
Ms. Culver was also accused of dragging another student out of the bathroom by his wrist.
She failed to keep a record of any instances of her using force on the school’s systems.
It was also said she made inappropriate comments in the presence of pupils, saying things including ‘Get her away from me,’ ‘I’ve had enough,’ and ‘She’s been a right brat.’
Ms Culver did not show up for the hearing and did not request that it be postponed.
Children in her reception class were between the ages of four and five.
The panel viewed a CCTV tape and heard testimony from three other Tiger Primary staff members.
One recalled hearing screams coming from Ms Culver’s classroom in the winter of 2018 and going to see if she needed assistance.
Ms Culver was holding a pupil by the wrist and holding her up in the air, she said.
She described the grasp as ‘tight and forceful,’ adding that the child’s feet were about a forearm off the ground.
Another member of staff mentioned how a certain student was generally hesitant to come to school and, when dropped off, would frequently go to the bathroom and scream and shout.
Ms. Culver dragged him screaming from the restrooms, according to a staff member.
All of the claims were found to be true, and the panel determined that there were no extenuating circumstances, such as an imminent threat to one’s health, that would have justified such use of force.
Members also agreed that Ms Culver’s comments in front of students were improper, however they acknowledged that she was under a lot of stress.
The panel concluded: ‘We were satisfied that the conduct of Ms Culver amounted to misconduct of a serious nature which fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession.
‘It is not acceptable for a teacher to use unreasonable force or inappropriate physical intervention and it is not acceptable to drag or pull pupils or hold them off of the floor.
‘The panel was mindful that Ms Culver might have been the first teacher her pupils had come into contact with, and they might therefore regard her behaviour as normal, such that they would be less likely to report it to the school or their parents than an older pupil.’
Ms Culver was banned from teaching indefinitely and told she would have to wait at least two years to request to have the ban lifted.
Hayley King, the head teacher at Tiger Primary, said: ‘We were shocked and distressed when these incidents were reported.
She said: ‘After several years at the school as a teaching assistant, Ms Culver had been moving successfully towards a full teaching qualification and there were no previous concerns about her conduct.
‘However, the school took the appropriate action and suspended Ms Culver when the incidents were reported by members of staff.
‘Her actions cannot be condoned, even in a challenging situation.
‘The school followed the correct procedures, now confirmed by the ban imposed by the Teaching Regulation Authority.’