Herts supply teacher banned for violence and racist remarks

Anton Van Der Watt worked through the Hertfordshire-based agency Simply Education. <i>(Image: PA)</i>
Anton Van Der Watt worked through the Hertfordshire-based agency Simply Education. (Image: PA)
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A supply teacher has been banned from teaching after becoming violent with pupils, making racist comments and threatening students.

Anton Van Der Watt, who worked through the Hertfordshire-based agency Simply Education, was removed from the teaching register following an investigation by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).

The incidents took place on his first day at Brine Leas School in Nantwich, Cheshire, on April 24, 2025.

A TRA panel heard that Mr Van Der Watt had "demonstrate aggressive behaviour" and made discriminatory remarks toward pupils.

He was found to have physically assaulted several students, including pushing one into a chair, placing his fist and fingers on a pupil's neck, and punching another on the shoulder.

He also threatened students with violence, telling one: "Do you want to go home on crutches? I will break your leg."

He told another pupil that he would "rip their vocal chords out and feed them to the lions", and told the class to "shut up".

The panel said he continued to display aggression by pressing his fists into desks and striking them with a ruler.

Mr Van Der Watt also made racist comments, including telling a black pupil that when he was younger, the student would not have been allowed in his classroom.

He told the class that "people of colour would not be allowed on trains and buses" when he was young, and referred to two pupils as "ching" and "chong".

The panel said this language was "discriminatory in nature" and could have left pupils feeling "undermined".

Mr Van Der Watt apologised for much of his behaviour in an email to Simply Education.

"I am very disappointed and apologetic about the whole incident and feel that I let myself and the profession down by allowing the boys to convince me into demonstrating in a light-hearted manner a way to defuse a potential dangerous situation by using relationships, trust and humour," 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."

The TRA concluded that Mr Van Der Watt should be banned from teaching.

The agency said: "The panel was of the view that prohibition was both proportionate and appropriate.

"The panel decided that the public interest considerations outweighed the interests of Mr Van Der Watt."

Simply Education has been contacted for comment.

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