A computer science teacher from Farnborough has been permanently banned from teaching in England after slapping a pupil across the face for laughing at a classmate who was struggling to answer a question.
The incident, which occurred on 5 February 2024, involved Bernard Aquilina, 35, then a teacher at Cove Secondary School in Hampshire.
He was dismissed from the school in May 2024 and has since been prohibited from working in any educational setting across the country.
Teacher was banned after slapping
Aquilina reportedly lost his temper when one student laughed at another who was unable to answer a question during class.
The victim recounted: “Got picked to answer as he wasn’t paying attention. I laughed because he was struggling. Mr Aquilina came over to me, clapping, saying ‘well done’. He then slapped me on the cheek.”
Several pupils provided matching testimonies, backing up the incident. One student said: “I saw Mr Aquilina approach Pupil A and state to him ‘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 and student statements confirm misconduct
The incident was corroborated by CCTV footage, which aligned with the students’ accounts. A panel investigating the incident stated that Aquilina had shown limited remorse and failed to fully recognise the severity of his actions.
“The panel considered that whilst Mr Aquilina had shown some remorse, albeit limited, for his actions, he did not show any insight into his behaviour or engage with the severity of his actions,” said the official statement.
The panel found no evidence of exceptional teaching contributions that might have mitigated the outcome.
A Farnborough teacher’s career has ended in disgrace after he slapped a student during class. Despite admitting the act, his lack of remorse and insight led to a nationwide teaching ban — with no return before 2029.
Risk of future harm led to indefinite ban
Decision-maker Marc Cavey concluded there was a potential risk to pupils’ welfare if Aquilina were allowed to continue teaching.
“In my judgement, the lack of evidence that Mr Aquilina has developed full insight into his behaviour means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this puts at risk the future well-being of pupils.”
As a result, Aquilina has been prohibited from teaching indefinitely. He will not be permitted to teach in any school, sixth form college, youth accommodation, or children’s home in England. He may apply for the ban to be lifted in September 2029, though there is no guarantee it will be successful.
Breach of trust and professional boundaries
The panel found that Aquilina’s actions crossed professional boundaries, constituting a criminal offence and breaching his duty of care towards pupils.
“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.”
Aquilina had been working at Cove Secondary School since September 2020. His dismissal came after an internal investigation and disciplinary process concluded in May 2024.
Education authorities continue to urge all staff to uphold the highest standards of behaviour, particularly in maintaining safe and respectful learning environments.
