A teacher from Wales was left with permanent nerve damage to his face after being attacked by a pupil. Craig Hearne, a 52-year-old from Caerphilly, also suffered ongoing psychological trauma.

In January 2020, a pupil swung a catering lid at the design and technology teacher, severely injuring his neck. He was unable to work for a month and he suffered life-changing injuries.

Mr Hearne later launched a compensation claim against his employer, Aspris Children’s Services, and secured a “significant” settlement, reports WalesOnline. He claimed behavioural policies were not consistently enforced and that staff safety was “secondary” to school fees.

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He said: “I’m angry that my concerns about this pupil were not adequately addressed by the school. The safety of staff members appears to be secondary to the money they can make from school fees.

“That can’t be right. I hope by taking this action robust behavioural procedures will be implemented and strictly adhered to so that others won’t have to endure the physical and psychological distress that I have had to experience.”

According to Thompsons Solicitors, Mr Hearne was attacked by a pupil at Queenswood School in Ledbury, Herefordshire. He was initially taken to a nearby accident and emergency department.

On assessment, he was referred to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for specialist treatment. It was confirmed he had suffered a deep neck laceration, resulting in permanent nerve damage.

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The incident left Mr Hearne suffering with sleepless nights and ongoing psychological trauma. It also resulted in a permanent loss of sensation on the right side of his face. As he now struggles to put on a helmet, it also left him unable to ride his motorcycle.

The married father-of-three turned to his trade union, the NASUWT, and national law firm Thompsons Solicitors, to make a compensation claim. After a series of detailed discussions with Aspris Children’s Services, Thompsons reached a settlement.

A spokesman for Queenswood School said: “We support young people with a range of complex social, emotional, and mental health difficulties meaning that colleagues may experience challenging behaviour on occasion. We have robust procedures in place to minimise the risks this presents and encourage staff to follow them at all times.

“In this instance, three witnesses said the incident was not foreseeable and there is no evidence to suggest there had been assaults earlier in the day. We elected to settle the staff member’s injury claim out of court by offering a modest sum of compensation in recognition of the injury he suffered. In our view, it was the fair thing to do.

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“The incident was fully investigated and we are confident that appropriate measures were in place to avoid such an incident if they were followed correctly. We strongly challenge any suggestion that finances are prioritised ahead of the safety of our dedicated and valued colleagues who consistently deliver incredible support to the young people entrusted into our care. We note that the majority of fees received from the local authorities who fund the placements are spent on staffing in the school.”

Caragh Hogan, the lawyer at Thompsons Solicitors who supported Mr Hearne’s claim, said: “I cannot begin to imagine what our client has been through over the past four years.

“He’s been left with life-changing physical injuries and is still dealing with the psychological trauma as a result of this attack. We hope this settlement can provide Mr Hearne with some closure so he can begin to move on with his life.”

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