A primary school teacher has been awarded £155,000 in compensation after suffering “severe injuries” to her hand and wrist when she was assaulted by a pupil.
The teacher, from Cheshire, is among dozens of teachers who shared total compensation of more than £11.7 million last year after being legally represented by their union, the NASUWT.
The primary teacher’s injuries occurred after she asked the pupil, who was misbehaving, to get on with his work, said the union.
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An NASUWT spokesperson said: “When she turned her back on him, he jumped up and grabbed her neck and then her right hand, twisting her wrist and digging his finger into her arm.
“The assault left the member with ligament damage to her wrist, hand and fingers.”
Teachers’ successful compensation claims
Other claimants include a deputy headteacher in north-west England who received £60,000 following her dismissal after raising concerns about the way her school was being run, as well as concerns about the bullying and intimidation of staff and child protection issues.
A total of £162,284 was paid to 16 teachers who had suffered unlawful discrimination contrary to the Equality Act 2010, while a total of £8,030 was secured for three cases of unfair treatment in relation to maternity rights.
NASUWT general secretary Patrick Roach said: “While compensation is recognition of the personal, and, in some cases, financial loss that members have suffered, it can never make up for the impact which unfair treatment, discrimination and physical injuries have on individuals.
“The money awarded cannot compensate for the emotional, physical and mental distress members have experienced and the fact that for some, their experiences have left them unable to continue working in their chosen profession.
“Furthermore, these cases are only likely to represent the tip of the iceberg. There is no doubt that many other teachers will have been driven out of the profession without proper redress for poor, discriminatory or unfair treatment because they were too fearful to come forward or believed nothing could be done.
“Too many employers believe they can act with impunity as the government fails to take any action to secure compliance with employment law, allowing poor employment practices to flourish as a result of the excessive freedoms and flexibilities it has given to schools.”
The union also secured more than £48,000 for a couple from Dyfed, in Wales, who were dismissed from their roles at an independent secondary school in North Kensington, London, after one of them fell ill and was temporarily unable to work while the other had to care for her.
A total of 13 teachers were paid £341,091.69 for personal injury claims, while the NASUWT also successfully pursued 15 cases of unfair dismissal, securing a total of £169,148 for members.
One teacher received £7,000 for victimisation, while other cases successfully resolved during 2020 included for redundancy, pupil behaviour, harassment and sickness.
The figures are being released today as the NASUWT begins its annual conference, which is being held online this year due to the pandemic.
A DfE spokesperson said: “No teacher should face discrimination or ill-treatment in the workplace. It is right that in the very small number of cases where such issues are identified, schools look to correct any poor practice.”
