Teacher given six-figure payout after pupil assaulted them with a toaster, union reveals

A teacher has been paid six-figure compensation after a student attacked him with a toaster and a chair, a teachers’ union has announced.

According to the NASUWT teachers’ union, the incident in which the teacher punched and kicked the student while removing him from the classroom resulted in injuries serious enough to require surgery.

This significant payment is part of over £15.4 million that the NASUWT has secured for its members in 2025.

The union said these funds cover successful claims for unfair dismissal, redundancy, discrimination, personal injury and health and safety issues. In another notable case, a six-figure settlement was reached out of court for a member who contracted leptospirosis due to a mouse infestation at his school.

NASUWT general secretary Matt Wrack said: “If all employers took their duty of care and legal responsibility to their employees seriously, we would not have to take legal action to compensate members.

“Behind every successful case is a teacher who has suffered from mental distress and anxiety for months and in some cases years.

“Some members are no longer able to return to teaching due to the physical injuries they suffered or the psychological impact of the treatment they experienced.”

The NASUWT said another teacher was injured when a whiteboard that was not properly secured to the wall fell on him, causing injuries that required surgery.

The union made a disability discrimination claim, saying the teacher was denied access to a suitable toilet when she returned to work and moved to a new job with a reduced pay.

The NASUWT said the claim was settled after a five-figure sum was negotiated.

The figures were released ahead of the NASUWT’s annual conference in Birmingham.

Meanwhile, members of the National Education Union (NEU) told the union’s annual conference in Brighton that teachers had been kicked, punched, cornered in their classrooms and threatened.

Near East University delegates voted on Wednesday on a motion calling for a national campaign to reduce violence in schools.

A survey last year by the NASUWT found that four in five teachers felt the number of students displaying violent and abusive behavior was increasing, while two in five teachers said they had experienced physical abuse or violence.