Scots principal allegedly said to pupils at additional needs school: “No wonder you do not go mainstream”

A SCOTS principal teacher faces being struck off after allegedly saying to pupils at a specialist school that teaches children with additional needs: “No wonder you do not go mainstream“.

Derek Leslie is also accused of telling pupils at Greenview School in Glasgow that they will “not amount to anything” and that they “will never get out of here”.

On another occasion Mr Leslie is alleged to have mocked children who came from single parent families by saying “you don’t have a father do you? I’ve got a father and we did this together.”

And he faces accusations that he upset children by critiquing their artwork and telling them to stop painting as they were just wasting paint.

Mr Leslie is also alleged to have grabbed, dragged, threw and elbowed a pupil in the ribs after the schoolchild began wriggling around.

He has also been accused of using inappropriate language by responding to pupils by saying: “I’m not a baldy ct” and “I’m not a “baldy b***d.”

Mr Leslie now faces being removed from the register by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) who are investigating the allegations which are said to have occurred in 2018 and 2019.

The full list of allegations state: “During the course of the Teacher’s employment in the position of Principal Teacher at Greenview School, Glasgow City Council, the teacher did: On or around 30 April 2019 take Pupil L’s carton of milk and drink from it.

“When Pupil L got up to leave after being told by the teacher to fetch more milk, scream, ‘I have had enough of this’, or words to that effect.

“Grab Pupil L by the t-shirt, drag him back into the class in an aggressive manner and throw him to the side.

“In response to Pupil L upturning a chair, scream ‘you need to calm down’, or words to that effect.

“In respect of Pupil L, grab both of Pupil L’s wrists, drag him across the room, throw him on to the floor
[and] hold him on the floor by the wrists, resulting in reddening to the wrists of Pupil L.

“State to Pupil L and Colleague 1, ‘I am sick of this carry on, I have had enough’, or words to that effect

“The teacher’s actions [above] resulted in Pupil L becoming distressed.

“In or around May 2019, whilst Pupil D was playing draughts with another pupil, move draughts pieces that Pupil D was playing with; and the teacher’s actions resulted in Pupil D becoming upset and breaking a window.

“Between February 2019 and May 2019, repeatedly and deliberately refer to Pupil D by the wrong name; and the teacher’s actions resulted in Pupil D becoming upset.

“On numerous occasions during the course of his employment with Greenview School, use inappropriate language towards pupils, namely respond to pupils by saying ‘I am not going to f*** off’, or words to that effect.

“Respond to pupils by saying ‘I’m not a baldy b**d’ or/and ‘I am not a baldy c’t, or words to that effect.

“State to Pupil D ‘you think you’ve had a hard life you know nothing about it’, or words to that effect, resulting in Pupil D becoming upset.

“State to Pupil K ‘you are not the one going on the cruise’, or words to that effect.

“State to pupils ‘you will not amount to anything – look you are still here in this school, you will never get out of here’, or words to that effect.

“State to pupils ‘no wonder you do not go mainstream’ or/and ‘I will send you to mainstream if you do not behave’, or words to that effect.

“And state to a pupil ‘You don’t have a father do you? I’ve got a father and we did this together’, or words to that effect.”

Further allegations state: “On multiple occasions during the course of his employment with Greenview School, roughly handle Pupil J, by grabbing, dragging and throwing him.

“On a date unknown during the course of his employment with Greenview School, state to Pupil C, ‘What are you doing? You are just wasting paint. Stop that right now’, or words to that effect, in reference to Pupil C’s artwork, resulting in Pupil C becoming upset.

“On a date unknown during the course of his employment with Greenview School, state to Colleague 2 in relation to Pupil C ‘Why are you wasting your time on him?’, or words to that effect.

“In or around October 2018, in response to Pupil J wriggling, elbow Pupil J in the ribs.”

Greenview School was an additional support needs school for children whose barrier to learning is their social, emotional and behavioural needs.

It closed in June 2020.

Dominic Sharkey, a former colleague of Mr Leslie’s who worked at Greenview School, today gave evidence relating to allegations of inappropriate handling of a former pupil.

The 51-year-old said: “There was an incident between Mr Leslie and Pupil L and it ended up with Pupil L under the table.

“Pupil L was an extremely, extremely, troubled, distressed wee boy.

“Pupil L would also look for a safe space under a cupboard or a table, that’s the traits he would show, he was shaking in distress under the table.

“I can’t remember if it was me who calmed him down that day but I had a good relationship with Pupil L. He would often come out of his safe space.

“It bothered me to see Pupil L in that position, there was always a reason for Pupil L to be in that position.”

The GTCS panel are set to spend eight days investigating the claims to determine whether Mr Leslie’s fitness to teach is impaired.

The hearing continues.