A child who was in a toilet cubicle for more than four hours at school "came out calm" and had been safe and checked on, his teacher said. The boy who went into the toilet at Waldo Williams Primary in Haverfordwest around 11am and didn't come out until just before 3.30pm did not have anything to eat or drink during the time he was there, a professional standards committee heard.

The boy's class teacher Sally Berry insisted she, or the two teaching assistants in the classroom, checked on him every five to 10 minutes during the time he was in the toilet. She said the cubicle, described as two metres by two metres, opened directly into the classroom and the door was adjacent to her desk.

Giving evidence for the first time on the third day of the Education Workforce Council Wales hearing, experienced teacher Mrs Berry said the boy, referred to as Child A to protect his identity, had previously used the toilet cubicle as a "safe space" to calm down when he was overwhelmed. The boy, who has additional needs and was in her class in the school's special resource base, responded to her when she spoke to him through the door, the teacher said. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.

Denying allegations that he was not checked on Mrs Berry told the panel that either herself, or the two class teaching assistants, checked on him every five to 10 minutes and she gave instructions to them when she went to run the school choir at lunchtime. The teacher said she herself had gone into the cubicle around three times and at other times spoke to the child through the door and offered him food and drink.

"He had taken himself to the toilet before. It was agreed with his parents that if he got overwhelmed he could take himself off and return when ready," she told the hearing on April 9.

"Just before 11am child A went to the toilet cubicle . The toilet is large and opens directly on to the classroom area and is adjacent to my desk.

"It is a large, tall room with a skylight and a chair.

"I was not concerned as it was clear he needed time to himself. He did not lock the door so I was able to go in - later he locked it but I was still able to go in.

"He was sitting on the chair and I offered him options like an ipad or blu tack, but he said "nah" or "yes" . I checked him a few times, I estimated every five to 10 minutes, but accept I did not have a timer.

"My desk was directly next to the toilet. I told him " I know you are chilling but I am here"."

The teacher said it was important to give the child time and space as recorded in his behaviour plan and allow him to come out in his own time. She had ensured there was food and drink on the desk for him at lunchtime and told him this, but he still didn't come out.

Mrs Berry, who was in charge of the school's special resource base, told the panel that she was concerned that if she over-stimulated the child, trying to encourage him out, then his behaviour would escalate as it had done in the past. Previously, when he lost control he had punched, headbutted, and kicked staff as well as thrown chairs at staff and ripped work off walls.

By lunchtime at 12pm when the child had still not emerged Mrs Berry had to leave the room to run the school choir, the panel heard. She said she gave her two teaching assistants instructions to check on him and not to over stimulate him, while she was gone.

"I said to the teaching assistants to give him time and space, don't over engage," she told the committee, "the more you push him the more his behaviour escalates".

She said she gave one of the teaching assistants a 20p coin to get into the loo if needed. But when she returned after lunch the boy had not come out.

"I gave all staff clear instructions and I anticipated when I left the classroom (at lunch) that he would come out when all the other children had gone. I knew child A was safe and my priority was to calm the rest of the class returning.

"I placed myself within direct view of the toilet door. Child A partly opened the door, glanced out and went back in. One of us checked him every five to 10 mins - but by 2.30 I could see it was not working and he would not come out by home time."

At this point Mrs Berry went to headteacher Mrs Debbie Bond (now Mrs Williams). She said the head told her to call the child's parents to come and get him, but Mrs Bond did not come to the classroom to offer any support or help.

"I decided to get advice from Mrs Bond. She said to call his parents, so I did at 2.45pm. I was not told by Mrs Bond to report safeguarding concerns and Mrs Bond did not come to the classroom to talk to the child or parents.

"Child A's father arrived around 3.20pm," the teacher told the panel.

When the boy's parents came he came out and left calmly with his father. Mrs Berry said she asked her teaching assistants to be there while she told his parents what had happened and assured them their son had been checked on regularly.

She denied that she had misled his parents and not checked on him so often , telling the committee she would not have lied in front of the teaching assistants.

"I accept I allowed child A to be in the toilet for three hours, but I don't accept I did not check on him," Mrs Berry said, "I don't accept I did not respond to child a in accordance with his plan."

Mrs Berry said that after the boy had gone home with his father she then waited in school until 4.45pm expecting the head to come and speak to her about the incident. She said in hindsight she should have gone to the head herself, but felt reluctant because she had felt rebuffed when she had sought help from the school's leadership in the past.

It is alleged that On 22 May 2023, with respect to the child, referred to as Child A, Ms Berry allowed him to remain in a toilet cubicle for more than three hours; and/or did not provide sufficient instructions to learning support assistants on how to respond to him and/or recommend strategies they should use in accordance with his positive handling plan; and/or did not respond to him in accordance with his positive handling plan; and/or did not arrange for him to be supervised during the lunch period.

It is also alleged that on On May 22 2023 Miss Berry did not tell senior staff; and/or Child A’s parents about the incident "in a timely manner" and that she told Child A’s mother and/or father that she had been checking on Child A in the toilet cubicle every five to 10 minutes, when this was not the case.

Mrs Berry also faces an allegation that she created an antecedent, behaviour and consequence chart form in respect of the incident with Child A on 22 May 2023, which contained incorrect information in terms of how often she had checked him and/or the strategies used.

She also faces a further allegation that On January 26 2023, when another child, Child X, made a comment threatening to harm a child, she did not inform a Designated Safeguarding Person (DSP) and/or the Headteacher; and/or b) The Child Care Assessment Team in a timely manner.

Mrs Berry told the panel she accepted she should have reported to the head earlier that Child A was in the cubicle, but does not accept an allegation that she was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct. She said the boy was checked regularly and she "absolutely disputed" that she had acted with dishonesty or a lack of integrity. In relation to the allegation about Child X, she said she accepted she should have told the head sooner, but disputed which child that Child X had made the threats against and when.

The hearing continues.

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