A physical education teacher has avoided being banned from the classroom after a disciplinary panel reviewed an incident in which she pulled a Year 8 pupil across a changing room floor for allegedly taking too long to tie her shoelaces.
The case involved Charlotte Venables, a sports teacher at Stewards Academy in Harlow, where she was found to have grabbed the pupil by the ankle before pulling her onto the floor and then escorting her out of the girls’ changing room.
A misconduct hearing was told the pupil had been sitting on a bench finishing tying her shoelaces when the teacher attempted to rush students out so lessons could begin. The situation escalated when the child requested additional time, leading to physical intervention.
Venables later admitted her actions amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and acknowledged that her behaviour fell below expected standards. She also accepted that she failed to report the incident properly to senior staff following the altercation.
During proceedings, the Teaching Regulation Agency heard that she believed her response was driven by pressure to clear the changing rooms quickly. However, CCTV footage reviewed during the investigation confirmed excessive force had been used.
Despite the findings, the disciplinary panel concluded the incident was brief and “out of character”, and ruled that a prohibition order would not be proportionate in this case. Instead, it determined that publication of the decision would be sufficient sanction.
Officials noted that the teacher had shown remorse and provided references highlighting her professional record, while also stressing the importance of safeguarding standards in schools across the UK education system
