Former Hoxton headteacher banned after hitting five-year-old pupil

Mustard School was in Nuttall Street, Hoxton. Photograph: Google Images

The former head of a Hackney independent school who hit a five-year-old pupil has been banned from teaching indefinitely.

Amos Johnson and Faith Johnson ran the Mustard School in Nutall Street, Hoxton.

It was a small Christian school registered to teach up to 44 children aged two to 11.

The school closed in January 2015 after Hackney Child and Young Person’s Service received allegations of physical chastisement.

Concerns were raised about Mr and Mrs Johnson following a series of ‘inadequate’ Ofsted inspections from May 2013 to January 2015.

In a professional conduct panel, Mr Johnson, the school’s headteacher and proprietor, was found guilty of an “abuse of position or trust (particularly involving vulnerable pupils) or violation of the rights of pupils.”

The panel found that the 58-year-old had hit pupils “on one or more occasions”, and failed to ensure an appropriate ratio of teachers to pupils at all times.

Staff were hired who were not properly qualified, and appropriate safeguarding checks were not carried out.

Mr and Mrs Johnson also failed to ensure the playground was safe or to make sure the inside of the school was clean or properly maintained.

The panel was concerned Mr and Mrs Johnson did not understand the gravity of their actions.

In upholding the conduct panel’s findings, Jayne Millions, on behalf of the secretary of state said: “The panel were concerned that Mr Johnson’s mitigation statement contained evidence that he retains a deep-seated attitude towards controlling behaviour of pupils which is harmful.

“In particular it was concerned about his justification for chastising a five-year-old pupil physically.”

Mrs Johnson, 49, has also been struck off from teaching but can apply to have the prohibition order set aside in 2019.

Mustard School was established in 1996 with the aim of “educating children with sound academic standards and in the way of the Lord”.

Around the time of it closing there were 18 pupils on the school roll.

Fees at the independent school were £3,060 a year.