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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Ruaraidh Gilmour

Teacher accused of dragging 'terrified' primary one pupil across classroom floor by her leg

A teacher has been accused of dragging primary one pupil with special needs across a classroom floor.

Rachel Wadsworth faces being struck off amid claims she pulled the little girl with a mental age of a toddler by the wrist at Carstairs Junction Primary in Lanarkshire.

It is further alleged she hauled the same non-verbal child by the leg back into her classroom on a separate occasion and made her sit on a seat where she had urinated.

Miss Wadsworth appeared before the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) yesterday to face the 2017 claims.

Support teacher Pamela Dougall gave evidence to the panel, and said she was left in tears after witnessing on the incidents.

She said: "I witnessed Miss Wadsworth dragging Pupil A back along the floor back to the classroom.

"Her [Pupil A] tummy was on the floor, she looked terrified.

"I put my hands on my head and said 'you can't do that'.

"I asked Pupil A if she was alright, she put her thumbs up as she is a non-verbal child.

"Pupil A has a mental age of roughly 18 to 24 months.

"I was in a state of shock, every time I saw Pupil A that day I cried."

Ms Dougall said she was placed in Miss Wadsworth's class between August and December 2017.
She explained: "The working relationship with Miss Wadsworth was difficult.

"I got the feeling that she did not want anyone in the class.

When I was working with Miss Wadsworth I felt I couldn't do my job properly as she didn't trust me."

Another support teacher, Jacqueline Steele who was working in a class nearby, told the hearing: "On Friday, December 1 [2017] at 1pm I was sitting at a table helping kids finish their work they hadn't finished and I was looking directly out of the classroom door.

"I saw Pupil A running past the door.

"Pupil A stopped at the double doors [fire exit].

"Mrs Wadsworth ran up and grabbed Pupil A's arm in quite a forceful manner.

"Her tugging knocked Pupil A off her balance and she was walking too fast for her to keep up.

"I put my hands on my head.

"It was the first time I saw her look frightened.

"[When Mrs Steele entered Pupil A's classroom] Pupil A was on the floor at the door, it was quite manic and Miss Wadsworth did not have any control of the class.

"For me it was a child protection issue.

"That afternoon Pupil A was not herself and was not smiling.

"You could see if she looked sad, I was able to tell when she wasn't happy."

Further allegations have been lodged against the teacher such as grabbing the same pupil by the arm and pushing her back onto a chair.

Miss Wadsworth also faces allegations that she grabbed another pupil by the shoulders which caused them distress.

She has also been accused of leaving the pupils in her additional support needs class unattended.

The hearing continues.

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