A supply teacher has been banned from the classroom after making racist comments, threatening to break pupils' legs and using inappropriate physical contact during his first day at a Nantwich school.

Anton Van Der Watt was found guilty of serious professional misconduct, following a series of incidents at Brine Leas School on April 24, 2025.

The 66-year-old was working through supply teaching agency Simply Education when he arrived at the school for his first assignment.

A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel heard how his behaviour towards pupils during three separate lessons fell well below the standards expected of a teacher.

The findings were published on November 2, 2026, following a professional conduct hearing held between October 7 and 9.

During the hearing, the panel was told Van Der Watt placed his fist against one pupil's neck, pushed them into a chair and pinched their neck.

The pupil said the incident caused pain and left a red mark.

Van Der Watt later acknowledged the incident in an email to Simply Education, describing his actions as a light-hearted demonstration of how to deal with aggressive behaviour.

He said: "I definitely had no intention to harm a young person in any shape or form and want my sincere apology be communicated with the student involved."

In another incident, he punched a pupil on the shoulder before threatening: "Do you want to go home on crutches? I will break your leg."

The panel also heard how he threatened to hit pupils, struck a wooden ruler against a desk and repeatedly told children to "shut up".

In one particularly disturbing incident, he threatened to "rip their vocal chords out and feed them to the lions".

The panel also found that Van Der Watt made racist remarks towards pupils. He referred to two pupils of Chinese origin as "ching" and "chong", before telling them: "We know what your real name is".

He also told a pupil of African origin that, when he was younger, they would not have been allowed in his classroom.

The panel concluded the comments were discriminatory and could have left pupils feeling undermined.

Van Der Watt was sent home from Brine Leas School on the same day after complaints were raised by pupils.

The school subsequently gathered written accounts from those involved. The matter was also reported to Cheshire Police, but no further action was taken following an investigation.

The panel noted Van Der Watt had no previous regulatory history and had not faced earlier complaints. He apologised for his behaviour during a meeting with his employer in July 2025.

In an email to the Teaching Regulation Agency in August 2026, he said: "Please allow me again to offer my sincere apologies to anyone that experienced stress or hardship through my alleged actions.

"This not my style and I would not want it to be my legacy."

The panel accepted his remorse was genuine but concluded his actions were deliberate and serious enough to warrant a teaching ban.

Van Der Watt is now prohibited from teaching indefinitely at any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England.

He will not be able to apply to have the ban lifted until October 28, 2029, after a three-year minimum period was imposed.

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