'Assistant slapped child in class that abused staff'

AN EXPERIENCED classroom assistant accused of slapping a four-year-old on the wrist in class immediately froze and gasped: “I don’t believe I have done that,” the class teacher told a professional standards hearing.

- ABBIE WIGHTWICK Education editor [e-mail]

> Ysgol Bryn Deva, Connah's Quay, Flintshire, where the alleged incident took place

Staff in the mixed Year 1 and reception class at Bryn Deva Primary in Connah's Quay, Flintshire, were kicked, bitten, headbutted, spat at and verbally abused on an “hourly basis” by some of the “challenging” infants, Leander Shaw, who faces allegations of slapping a child, told the investigation in comments read out.

Ms Shaw, with 14 years' experience working at the school, is alleged to have slapped the little boy for kicking out at her as he sat on the carpet with other children at the start of the school day.

The teaching assistant waived her right to be present or represented at the Education Workforce Council Wales fitness to practise hearing yesterday. That means the allegations are taken as denied.

Ms Shaw said that she had “tapped”, not slapped, the little boy, identified only as Child A, when he kicked his leg out at her. She had also admitted when interviewed by police later that she had slapped the child, the committee was told.