Bernard Aquilina, 35, formerly employed at Cove Secondary School in Hampshire, was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct by a teaching conduct panel. He was dismissed from the school in May 2024 and is now prohibited from teaching in any school, sixth form college, children’s home, or relevant youth accommodation in England.
The incident, which occurred on 5 February 2024, involved Aquilina slapping a student on the cheek after the pupil laughed at another student. The panel heard from eight students whose accounts were largely consistent with the incident. One student recalled:
“I saw Mr Aquilina approach Pupil A and state: ‘If you’re being disrespectful, then I can too.’ Pupil A replied: ‘What have I done wrong? I only laughed.’ Mr Aquilina then slapped Pupil A with his open left hand on the left cheek. This was a hard slap and I could hear it loudly from where I was sat.”
CCTV footage presented to the panel corroborated the students’ testimonies.
While the panel noted that Aquilina showed some remorse, it found he had not demonstrated sufficient insight into his behaviour or fully engaged with the severity of his actions. Marc Cavey, the decision maker, stated:
“The lack of evidence that Mr Aquilina has developed full insight into his behaviour means there is some risk of repetition, which puts at risk the future wellbeing of pupils.”
Aquilina, who had taught at the school since September 2020, was dismissed following an internal investigation and disciplinary hearing. He may apply for the prohibition order to be reconsidered in September 2029.
The panel concluded that Aquilina’s actions were a criminal offence and breached his duty of care towards pupils. The statement added:
“Mr Aquilina’s actions were fundamentally incompatible with his being a teacher, and as such, the panel considered that prohibition was both proportionate and appropriate.”
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