Teacher suspended after reportedly punching 10-year-old student

The teacher was suspended after the incident, Daniel Henry reports

A 10-year-old student was taken to A&E after his teacher reportedly punched him at a primary school in Islington.

A member of staff has been suspended from the Christ the King Catholic Primary School and they say they are working with police and local authorities to investigate the incident.

The father of the child Charles Etumnu told ITV News his son was taken to a confined area where a "teacher held him and started punching him."

He said he was "angry" over how the situation had been handled, saying they wanted him to "forget about it and move on."

Mr Etummu also said his younger son witnessed the incident.

The school sent two letters to Mr Etumnu, the first on November 10 saying his son had been suspended for an act of aggression towards a member of staff, that he hit them several times knocking their glasses off and pulling out a clump of hair.

Three days later Mr Etumnu got a second letter from the school saying his son was no longer suspended because new information had come to light and the headteacher apologised for the distress caused.

Mr Etumnu said his son had "cried a lot" since the incident.

James Potts, Chair of Governors at Christ the King RC Primary School, said in a statement to ITV News: "An allegation was made about an incident at the school in November.

 "As soon as the allegation was made, we took the matter extremely seriously and took all appropriate actions. A member of staff was suspended at the time, pending a full investigation.

 "We are working closely with the Metropolitan Police, Islington Council and the Diocese of Westminster.

 "As part of our continued partnership with parents, carers and the wider community, we take the safety and well-being of our pupils extremely seriously, and are committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all."

The statement continued: "It would be inappropriate to comment further whilst an investigation is ongoing."

The police said they had been contacted about a 10-year-old boy who had been assaulted. They said no arrests had been made but "enquiries into the circumstances remain ongoing."

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