Four teachers have been banned from teaching after a boarding school descended into anarchy during lockdown, where staff played cricket with a dead pheasant, hurled eggs and rocks at pupils, and used offensive language including 'donkey f*****s' and 'spastics'. The incidents occurred at the independent Build-a-Future school in Lincolnshire over the winter of 2020.
Chaotic behaviour at the school
Headteacher Adam Webb, deputy headteacher Alison Simmons, woodwork teacher Thomas Hayward, and tutor Matthew Oyitch presided over chaos at the school. Teachers threw aerosols into bonfires, which were lit daily on school grounds. Children were encouraged to ride a cherry picker onto a roof, where they were pelted with projectiles. Staff also engaged in play fights and 'pile-ons'.
Disturbing incidents
While some antics might sound like a St Trinian's sequel, there were reports of more disturbing behaviour. Mr Hayward was found to have lain on and thrusted against a pupil. Teachers singled out certain children and bullied them, refused food to students for being 'too fat', and used racist slurs. Mr Webb's conduct, particularly against one pupil whom he 'mocked' and 'shamed', amounted to 'borderline child cruelty', the panel found.
Arrests and investigation
All four were arrested in January 2021 after a whistleblower went to the police with a dossier of evidence, leading to an investigation into assault and neglect. Criminal proceedings were dropped, but the group have now been barred from teaching after professional conduct hearings.
Background of the school
Build-a-Future was a private boarding school for children who could not attend mainstream education. The misconduct dates from September 2020 to January 2021, including the second Covid lockdown in November 2020. It had two sites in Lincolnshire: one in East Heckington, near Boston, and one in West Ashby, near Horncastle. Neighbours told the Daily Mail the West Ashby site was sold a couple of years ago, while the East Heckington site is still run under a new name and has managed to improve.
Specific incidents
Mr Hayward, now 39, brought a dead pheasant into school during the November lockdown and, along with Mr Webb, encouraged a pupil to hit it 'like a ball'. Later that month, he killed baby chicks in front of pupils and told a group to 'play bat and ball' with the carcass of a young cockerel, with Mr Webb 'cheering' them on. Egg fights regularly broke out after being initiated by teachers, who also threw stones at pupils on multiple occasions.
On the last day of term in December 2020, pupils were taken to woods for a BBQ because the hot water had stopped working. Ms Simmons, now 56, the safeguarding officer, brought 40 eggs to throw at pupils. She was not involved in many incidents but was found to have lied about what she saw and failed in her role as safeguarding lead.
Around Christmas, a dumper truck and cherry picker were on site. Mr Webb, Mr Oyitch, and Mr Hayward allowed pupils into the cherry picker without safety equipment, raised it high, and encouraged them to climb onto a roof. Once on the roof, the trio pelted them with stones, eggs, and tomatoes. In another incident in November, they threw stones and eggs at pupils while calling them 'window lickers', 'spastics', and 'soft c***s'.
Bonfires were lit daily to keep warm. Mr Hayward threw aerosol cans into the flames to hear them explode and got pupils to do the same. On one occasion, a long tube was inserted into the fire, and aerosol cans were posted down it, shooting out when they exploded. Mr Webb sent staff to buy aerosols for this purpose. Another time, Mr Webb said, 'Let the boys have a fight,' and Mr Hayward drew a ring in the gravel where pupils fought until bleeding. While children grappled, Mr Hayward put stones down another pupil's trousers.
More disturbing episodes
Mr Hayward was seen 'lying on a student, moving his body up and down, simulating having sex', while Mr Oyitch and Mr Webb watched, laughing. The whistleblower also reported Mr Hayward pulling the ears and standing on the toes of the same pupil. Mr Hayward admitted being involved in 'pile-ons' with staff and pupils.
The teachers used offensive language including bullying, racism, fat shaming, and disability shaming. Mr Oyitch called a pupil 'fat t**s'. Mr Webb and Mr Hayward refused food to certain pupils, calling them 'fat c***s' and 'fat f*****'. Pupils with extra needs were placed in Husky House, which Mr Hayward called 'the spastic house'. Mr Oyitch and Mr Webb called vulnerable children 'mong' or 'mong face'. Mr Webb and Mr Hayward referred to a particular student as 'horse f***er' and 'donkey f***er'.
The panel was shown WhatsApp messages detailing that Mr Hayward said he was going to 'get the other kids to bully the new kid' in January 2021. A consultancy firm, Collinson Grant LLP, conducted an internal investigation, and the matter was referred to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) in November 2022. A month after the arrests, an Ofsted inspection found BAF did not meet independent school standards. A Lincolnshire Police spokesperson said a thorough investigation was conducted, but no further action was taken after consultation with the CPS.
