Teacher goaded then hit pupil

FAILSWORTH School

A TEACHER from Failsworth School has been found guilty of unacceptable professional misconduct after "goading" and hitting a pupil.

Michael Nosiama has been banned from teaching after the incident, filmed on a pupil's mobile phone in April, last year.

A professional conduct panel of the National College for Teaching and Leadership heard how the maths teacher was taking a year 11 revision class when he asked a disruptive pupil to leave. The class was dismissed when the the boy, referred to as Pupil A, repeatedly refused.

Another teacher, who no longer works at the Brierley Avenue secondary, saw Mr Nosiama leave the building "in a state of agitation" with the pupils.

He told the panel that Mr Nosiama and Pupil A "squared up" to each other. He then saw the boy flick his head towards the teacher as if "trying to head butt him".

Mr Nosiama moved backwards with his hands up "in a defensive manner as a reflex to being potentially hit".

He did not see teacher or pupil hit each other but heard the sound of "skin on skin" and believed that as Mr Nosiama moved backwards, his hand had connected with the pupil's face.

He also described Pupil A as a "cheeky chappie" who could be quite aggressive to teachers, and was known for being very vocal and testing the limits of what he could get away with.

Another pupil who witnessed the event said both Pupil A and Mr Nosiama swore at each other and the teacher told the boy to "take it outside".

Pupil A poked Mr Nosiama with his finger, he said, and Mr Nosiama hit Pupil A's face with the palm of his hand, leaving a red mark. Pupil A then hit Mr Nosiama who said "thank you, expulsion."

Mobile phone footage shows the pair standing very close to each other and the teacher raising his hand in the "vicinity" of the pupil's face. The view of what happened next is obscured but a slapping sound is heard, followed by the pupil's head and body moving away.

The panel was satisfied that Nosiama made violent physical contact with Pupil A. It added that it was "extremely concerned" by the behaviour of Mr Nosiama, who did not attend the hearing and was not represented.

It rejected earlier claims made by Mr Nosiama that he acted in self-defence, saying the video evidence showed him acting in an aggressive and violent manner when he did not appear to be in any danger.

It concluded that he goaded and provoked Pupil A into displaying aggressive behaviour and aggravated the situation rather than trying to defuse it.

Mr Nosiama was banned from teaching indefinitely and will not be allowed to re-apply to teach.