Teacher who was injured when pupil threw laptop at her wins five-figure payout

A teacher who was injured and lost consciousness after a pupil threw a laptop at her head was awarded a five-figure settlement, union figures show.

The payout was among cases in which teachers were awarded settlements over issues such as injuries or discrimination in the workplace.

The NASUWT union secured nearly £15.2m in compensation for its members last year.

The figures were released ahead of the teaching union’s two-day annual conference in Liverpool which starts on Friday.

In one case, a teacher was awarded a six-figure settlement after he was hit by a car while directing traffic in the school car park.

He sustained a fractured left heel bone which required surgery after he was propelled over the car bonnet and hit the floor.

The NASUWT also supported a pregnant teacher with an employment tribunal claim for breaches of the pregnancy/maternity provisions of the Equality Act 2010.

The employer’s treatment of the woman was mishandled from the time she advised them of her pregnancy, the union said.

The NASUWT also assisted a teacher in securing a five-figure settlement after his employer had been unsupportive when he requested time off for a family emergency.

The member had worked at his school for 30 years and had only ever had three days off sick.

He was warned that if he did not accept the agreement he would be likely to be made redundant through a restructure that had not been announced by that point, the union said.

Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: “If all employers took seriously their duty of care and legal responsibilities to their employees we would not be forced to pursue legal remedies to get redress for members.

“Behind every successfully concluded case is a teacher who has suffered months, and in some cases years, of mental distress and anxiety.

“Some members are no longer able to return to teaching due to the physical injuries they have sustained or the psychological impact of the treatment they have experienced.

“We will not hesitate to pursue justice and redress for members where they are injured, made ill or suffer unfair and discriminatory treatment at work.”