A HEREFORDSHIRE teacher suffered life-changing injuries after a pupil assaulted him at school.

Chris Hearne, a design and technology teacher who was working at Queenswood School in Ledbury, was left with permanent nerve damage and psychological problems after he was attacked by a pupil.

The pupil swung a catering lid at Mr Hearne, causing a deep laceration of his neck, in 2020.

Mr Hearne said: "I'm angry that my concerns about this pupil were not adequately addressed by the school. Behavioural policies that exist are not being consistently adhered to. 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 robust behavioural procedures will be implemented and strictly adhered to."

A spokesperson 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, as in our view it was the fair thing to do. 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, and note that the majority of fees received from the local authorities who fund the placements are spent on staffing in the school.”

Mr Hearne, a husband and father-of-three, had received specialist treatment at a hospital in Cardiff and then had to take a month off work and seek psychological support.

The assault left him suffering with a permanent loss of sensation on the right side of his face. 

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Details of the assault on Mr Hearne were shared by law firm Thompsons Solicitors, along with the news that he had secured a substantial payout in compensation.

Caragh Hogan, the lawyer at Thompsons Solicitors who supported Mr Hearne with his claim, said: "I cannot begin to imagine what our client has been through over the past four years, with life-changing physical injuries and psychological trauma."