A headteacher at a school for vulnerable children has been banned from the profession after he threw eggs at pupils and described one as being as “wide as a fridge”.
A professional conduct hearing in January found that the actions of Adam Webb, the headteacher at Build A Future Independent School (BAF) in Boston, Lincolnshire, constituted conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute – including throwing stones and eggs at or near pupils and using derogatory, sexualised, abusive and ableist language towards pupils.
Between September 2020 and January 2021 he referred to one pupil as being “as wide as a fridge” and “as wide as a bus”, and said he had told at least one pupil that he had sex with their mother.
He was also found to have only let a colleague down from a cherry picker once she had shown him that she had deleted a video of eggs being thrown at her.
Mr Webb also told staff “what happens in BAF stays in BAF”, which suggested an intention to conceal inappropriate behaviour, according to the panel.
The panel concluded Mr Webb failed to safeguard pupils in his role as headteacher and decided that each proven allegation amounted to serious misconduct.
Decision maker Marc Cavey’s report states: “The panel did not consider any of Mr Webb’s actions to be trivial, negligible, or a temporary lapse.
“Taken individually, each amounted to serious misconduct, and collectively they represented a profound and sustained departure from the standards expected of a headteacher.”
The panel found that Mr Webb’s use of derogatory, mocking and demeaning language, including comments about pupils’ bodies, disability‑related slurs, and sexualised remarks, constituted a clear failure to safeguard pupils.
The report said Mr Webb provided no supporting evidence to demonstrate exceptionally high standards, nor evidence of significant contribution to the wider education sector.
Those on the panel found there was some evidence of support provided to pupils, but concluded this did not reach the threshold of being exceptional; it reflected expected aspects of his role.
“Mr Webb had not only failed the pupils but also failed the staff”, it concluded.
He was banned from teaching indefinitely. He is not permitted to apply for restoration of his ability to teach.
The report states: “The panel found that the misconduct was not an isolated lapse but formed a sustained course of conduct over several months.
“This included repeated incidents of encouraging playfighting, throwing stones and eggs at or near pupils, unsafe bonfire activities, the use of derogatory and offensive language towards vulnerable children, and inappropriate interactions with staff.
“Taken together, these matters demonstrated a clear pattern of behaviour rather than occasional poor judgment.”
Fellow teachers Alison Simmons and Thomas Hayward were also banned from the classroom indefinitely, though Mr Hayward will be able to reapply to teach.
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