NASUWT membership provides legal cover and representation to members when they need it most. It’s another reason to be part of the NASUWT, as this member's story illustrates

We were able to secure redress for a member after an assault by a pupil which left him unable to teach.

The incident happened while he was taking a science class in a London school.

He said: “Following a previous incident, the pupil was suspended for three days and I was reassured that they would no longer take part in my classes.”

However, when the pupil was back at school, he turned up at the members’ lesson.

 “When I saw him at the beginning of class, I made the point that he shouldn’t be there and asked him to leave and he walked out and shut the door. I then had my back to the door and hadn’t realised that he’d come back into the room. The rest is a bit of a blur as he attacked me again.

“The worst thing is that the school knew this pupil was a danger. It wasn’t the first time he had been violent – he had been violent to both other children and teachers.”

The attack left him with severe psychological trauma and saw him being sectioned twice under the Mental Health Act for his own safety. He has been unable to return to teaching as a result of the impact of the assault.

As a member of NASUWT, he was eligible for legal representation through our partners Thompsons Solicitors, which led to a six-figure pay out.