Primary school teacher banned after pulling pupil across floor ‘like a child dragging a teddy’
A teacher was banned from class after dragging a young child across the floor “like a child drags a teddy bear.”
Georgina Graham worked as an early years foundation stage teacher at Hunningley Primary School for almost 10 years, covering the age group from birth to five, before she was suspended from the school in 2023 pending an investigation into her alleged actions.
After the school reported two alleged joint assaults against students A and B to the police in March of the same year; He was suspended and two police investigations were launched. By May the police investigation concluded with no action taken against Ms Graham and she was referred to the Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA).
Witness accounts described an incident in which Ms Graham dragged screaming Student A across the floor with one hand: “almost like a child dragging a teddy bear or doll across the floor behind them”. Before this, the little boy needed to calm down because he was upset and overwhelmed by his environment; Witness F was sitting next to the child before the incident.
Witness E claimed he heard a scream and turned to see Ms Graham holding the student’s hand and yelling at him to stand up, while he was “visibly very upset and on the floor”.
When Witness E saw the lower half of his body limp on the ground, the child was heard shouting “no stop, let go”.
In a separate incident, Ms. Graham was found to have “used inappropriate and/or excessive force in relation to Student B.”
As Student B walked down the hall with Witness D, Ms. Graham walked up behind her and without warning, grabbed her wrists and lifted them above her head. The witness said it was “overwhelming and there was no warning”, adding that Ms Graham was frustrated with the student and felt she “needed to learn how to behave”, even though her difficulties were known to staff.
Witness D confirmed that Student B “didn’t do anything, no one was at risk.”
Ms Graham then allowed his body to “sway” and “dragged” him into the corridor before knocking him to the ground, where she laughed and said “oh, you can stay there then”.
A TRA panel ruled that Ms Graham should be banned from teaching indefinitely for the “inappropriate and excessive use of force against two vulnerable children” and “serious loss of control” despite another staff member asking her to stop; This can only be objected within three years.
The panel expressed concern that Ms Graham may repeat her actions if allowed to continue as a teacher; because the former teacher disputed the seriousness of the behavior but provided no evidence of the training received or steps taken to manage future loss of control.
“Ms. Graham should have exercised self-control over her own actions,” the panel report concluded.
