Two teachers suspended after tying up pupil with electrical cable during lesson

Two teachers suspended after tying up pupil with electrical cable during lesson

Last updated at 15:18pm on 19th December 2007 Comments (2)

Two teachers have been suspended for tying up a vulnerable sixth former during a lesson at a flagship school.

The 16-year-old boy, who has a heart defect, was mocked as he lay humiliated for five minutes after being bound with an electrical cable in the middle of an engineering class.

Police and social services are now probing the exclusive £38 million Folkestone Academy in Kent, after mobile phone footage filmed by stunned pupils found its way to parents.

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Shocking: The pupil lies helpless on a classroom floor after being bound with electrical cable

During the footage, taken on December 6 this year, a voice - said to be a teacher - can be heard cruelly mocking the boy, taunting: "Give us a shout when you are ready to start grovelling."

The boy was apparently eventually freed by another teacher.

Action: Headmaster John Patterson suspended two members of staff over the incident

A source at the school said: "It was like something you would expect Guantanamo Bay or an Al Qaeda video - not in a school.

"The lad involved is an easy target for bullies and he takes more than his fair share of stick.

"The school has made a lot of noise about being tough on bullies and raising standards and this kind of thing just makes a mockery of that."

The teenager was too shocked to discuss the incident but a family friend said: "He's taken the whole thing really badly. It's shaken him up terribly.

"His parents have been really pushing for some action to be taken on this, but he just wants to the whole thing to go away as he fears being bullied even more."

Two teachers were suspended by principal John Patterson, whose school which is part funded by billionaire ex-Saga chief Roger de Haan.

The school - whose motto is Proving Excellence for Pupils of all Abilities - was among the government's pioneering city academies, part funded by big business and created as lavish replacements for failing schools.

Principal Mr Patterson, who runs the 1,000 pupil school, said: "Although this incident may have been intended to be good humoured, the Academy sees the alleged behaviour as totally inappropriate and unacceptable within a school.

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Flagship: Folkestone Academy cost £38m and opened in September this year

"We have suspended the two staff involved while the matter is investigated and have referred the incident to the police and social services.

"We understand that, after their initial investigations, the joint team do not intend to take the matter any further, neither do the boy concerned nor his parents wish to dwell further on the matter."

More than 100 pupils were excluded in three weeks when the school opened in September this year.

The school bills itself as a centre of arts, media and culture and its futuristic building was designed by leading architect Sir Norman Foster.

A spokesman for Kent Police said an investigation was underway.