A teacher who was convicted of assaulting a primary school pupil has been banned from the profession for at least two years.

Kenneth Maidens taught at Spalding Monkshouse Primary School in Spalding, Lincolnshire, and was suspended in June 2016 after a student saw him using physical force against a pupil.  

The incident, which took place five months after Mr Maidens began working at the school, led to a criminal conviction of assault by beating in March 2017. He was told to carry out unpaid community work, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £85 and costs of £620.

A professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency said the fact that Mr Maidens did not receive a prison sentence indicated that the offence “was at the less serious end of the possible spectrum”.

Mr Maidens said in evidence seen by the panel that the incident took place when he was trying to help the pupil concerned.

But the panel said the use of violence within the school setting needed to be treated with the utmost seriousness.

‘Completely uncacceptable’

In a report, it said: “Whilst the degree of violence may be disputed, it is clear that any violence by a teacher against a pupil is completely unacceptable and contrary to the necessary standards. It would be perverse for such a conviction of a teacher not to be considered relevant.”

It found that although his actions were deliberate, “the situation at the school described by Mr Maidens may have been stressful”, and he had a good record previously.

But it also noted that the teacher failed to show any remorse regarding the pupil he assaulted or his own actions over the incident.

There was no evidence of it being more than a single incident or that it was of such seriousness that Mr Maidens’ behaviour “could not be remediated in time”, the panel said. 

It ruled that a ban was proportionate, but recommended a review period after two years, which was “sufficient time to develop insight into his actions and be able to provide examples to any future panel as to why similar behaviour would not recur in similar circumstances”.

The recommendations were approved by Dawn Dandy, who made the final decision on behalf of the education secretary.