A TEACHER has been criticised for Sellotaping a pupil's mouth because she would not stop talking.
Elise Smith, 11, was punished by being made to sit with Sellotape over her lips for around a quarter of an hour.
Her furious father, Marc Smith, complained to William Allitt School, in Newhall, the local education authority and watchdog Ofsted.
School governors have criticised the teacher's actions as 'misguided', and no further disciplinary action will be taken. It is understood he has since apologised to the pupil and her family.
Mr Smith spoke out about the incident after the school was recently placed into special measures following a damning Ofsted inspection report.
He said: "The teacher apologised but has not been punished enough, in my opinion, because he didn't get suspended and is still working at that school. "I heard about teachers in another school doing it and they were suspended, so why not here? "I would personally not want that teacher working at that school."
Mr Smith, of Brunt Lane, Woodville, found out about the incident when he got home from work and complained to the school the next morning.
He said: "I was fuming. "The children were all talking in class and were told to be quiet, but my daughter kept on talking. "He should just have sent her out.
"You cannot lay a finger on children." "I was fuming."
Mr Smith said he was angry that the teacher is still at the school.
He said: ""I spoke to the county council and they went into the school and asked questions, and I reported it to Ofsted as well. "I originally kept her out of school at the start but she was missing her friends. "I was reluctant to send her back but I had to trust the school."
Jean Mead, chairman of governors at William Allitt School, said: "The welfare of pupils is always our top priority.
"This was a misguided action rather than a malicious one.
"It happened in December last year. It shouldn't have taken place under any circumstances – the teacher immediately regretted his actions and apologised.
"We worked alongside the local authority to carry out a thorough investigation and appropriate action was taken."
