Primary school teacher who slapped child across face claimed she ‘lost her balance’
Helena Eckles, a 53-year-old primary school teacher at Hall Cliffe Primary School in Wakefield, was convicted of assault by beating after slapping a pupil in May 2024 and has been banned from teaching indefinitely. She claimed the contact was accidental, stating she lost her balance and her hand struck the child involuntarily while trying to steady herself. Despite maintaining her innocence and asserting a miscarriage of justice, a Teaching Regulation Agency panel upheld the decision to prohibit her from the profession.
- ▪Helena Eckles was convicted at Leeds Magistrates Court for assault by beating in March 2025 following an incident on 21 May 2024.
- ▪The incident occurred when Eckles attempted to remove a laptop from a student who refused to stop playing a game, leading to physical contact.
- ▪Eckles claimed she slipped and her hand struck the child accidentally while trying to regain balance, resulting in a visible red mark on the boy's cheek.
- ▪She did not appeal her conviction, citing financial constraints, but maintained she was innocent and that a miscarriage of justice had occurred.
- ▪The Teaching Regulation Agency panel reviewed the case and issued a prohibition order banning her from teaching indefinitely.
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NewsUKHome NewsPrimary school teacher who slapped child across face claimed she ‘lost her balance’Helena Eckles, 53, who struck disruptive pupil, maintained there had been 'miscarriage of justice', following conviction for assaultHarry Cockburn Friday 01 May 2026 15:29 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2968905","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/primary-school-teacher-slap-child-wakefield-b2968905.html","title":"Primary school teacher who slapped child across face claimed she ‘lost her balance’"}}Hall Cliffe…
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