A primary school teacher who slapped a child across the face has been banned from teaching indefinitely. Helena Eckles, 53, was convicted of assault by beating at Leeds Magistrates Court in March last year for an incident on 21 May 2024 at Hall Cliffe Primary School in Wakefield.
Incident Details
According to a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel, the incident occurred when Eckles allowed children to play computer games after completing their work. Pupil A refused to stop playing despite repeated requests. As Eckles unplugged and packed away the laptop, the child flailed his arms, tried to push her away, and grab the device.
Eckles claimed she overbalanced slightly backwards on her left foot and stepped forward with her right foot to steady herself. She said her right arm came forward involuntarily, and her open palm lightly contacted Pupil A’s face as he moved on his chair. This left a red handprint mark on his left cheek. The boy then ran out of the classroom shouting that he had been slapped.
Teacher's Defence
Despite her conviction, Eckles maintained her innocence, stating she could not afford to appeal and that there had been a miscarriage of justice. She cited staffing shortages, frequent use of untrained agency teaching assistants, and insufficient support in the classroom. She also mentioned frequent incidents of challenging behaviour by pupils and that support requests were not always responded to.
Panel Findings
The TRA panel noted that while the child’s behaviour was disruptive, there was no evidence Eckles was acting under extreme duress. The panel concluded that the conviction would likely impact the safety of pupils and public confidence in the teaching profession.
Stuart Blomfield, acting for the Secretary of State for Education, stated: “I have concluded that a prohibition order is proportionate and in the public interest.” This means Eckles is prohibited from teaching indefinitely in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation, or children’s home in England.
