Teacher banned for putting knife to pupil's throat for getting question wrong in classroom joke

A teacher who held a knife to a student's throat and then joked he would kill him after he got an answer wrong has been banned for two years.

John Holmes grabbed a 12-year-old pupil, put him in a headlock and pulled a blade from his pocket during a lesson at Landau Forte College in Derby in the summer term of 2012.

The 53-year-old had said it was 'jovial' fun with his geography class.

But a National Council for Teaching and Leadership panel found Holmes guilty of 'unacceptable professional conduct'

As a result he has been banned from the country's classrooms for a minimum of two years.

 

The panel, who only identified the victim as 'pupil B' said: 'Mr Holmes made physical contact with pupil B by placing his arm around pupil B's neck, and then took his knife from his pocket and pushed it open so that the blade locked into place.

'Mr Holmes then made a pretend threat to kill pupil B.'

Paul Heathcote delivered the panel's decision and said: 'Mr Holmes' actions were not perceived by pupil B or other pupils in the class to be a genuine threat.

'Mr Holmes is an experienced and successful teacher, valued by the school and many of its pupils. His current employer has provided a positive testimonial.

 

'However, his conduct represents serious departure from the personal and professional conduct elements of the Teachers' Standards.

'He was in possession of a bladed or pointed article on school premises and there is a strong public interest in deterring the carrying and use of knives in schools.

'He has not shown clear insight into the implications of his behaviour.'