Manchester teacher who headbutted a teenager is banned from the classroom

A former teacher who worked at a school in east Manchester has been banned from teaching indefinitely after headbutting a teenager in the face. Craig Embrey, 33, who was employed by Connell Co-op College in Beswick at the time, was under the influence of alcohol when he assaulted the 16-year-old in January 2020, according to a report by the Teaching Regulation Agency published last week.

The ‘violent act’ took place in public, according to the body which investigates serious misconduct by teachers, but not on the grounds of the college. The teenager, who was not known to Mr Embrey and was not a student at the school, suffered a cut lip which required three stitches, the report revealed.

Mr Embrey, who was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in July 2021, was suspended from his job after he was charged for the offence. He was sentenced to a community order for nine months, told to carry out unpaid work for 90 hours and required to take part in rehabilitation activity.

He also had to pay £1,295 in compensation to the victim and for other costs. Mr Embrey told the professional conduct panel that he successfully met the terms of his sentence, according to the report. However, the panel concluded that he should be prohibited from teaching in any school or college indefinitely.

Mr Embrey is also not allowed to teach in youth accommodation or children’s homes in England. The prohibition order can be reviewed in three years’ time.

The report described the incident as a ‘serious offence’, but said that the panel recognised that the 33-year-old had an ‘otherwise unblemished record’ as a teacher. It said: “Although it was an isolated episode in the context of Mr Embrey’s life and career as a whole, this was a serious offence, which involved headbutting a person under eighteen, who was not known to him, in public.

“The panel had concluded that several behaviours found proved in this case indicated that a prohibition order would be appropriate. In addition, the panel felt that public confidence in the profession could be weakened if conduct of this nature was not treated with the utmost seriousness.

“It was satisfied that a prohibition order was also necessary and appropriate to declare proper standards of conduct in the profession. Accordingly, the panel made a recommendation to the Secretary of State that a prohibition order should be imposed with immediate effect.”

Mr Embrey has the right of appeal within 28 days of the prohibition order. He can apply for the prohibition order to be set aside, but not until March 2026.