Teaching assistant attacked by five-year-old who was ‘big for his age’ wins six-figure payout

A former teaching assistant has been awarded a six-figure payout after suing her bosses over an attack by a five-year-old who was “big for his age”.

Aleksandra Aukett, 44, was traumatised and suffered multiple soft tissue injuries when “punched, pinched and kicked” by the reception class child in 2017.

Ms Aukett said she has been left with “life-changing” chronic pain and has not returned to work due to a fear of going back to the “school environment”.

She sued the London Borough of Hillingdon, the local authority responsible for overseeing the school, claiming more should have been done to protect her in the workplace.

On Tuesday, the council agreed to settle the case, handing Ms Aukett £140,338 compensation as well as paying her lawyers’ bills.

Earlier, Gemma Witherington, her barrister, told Judge Richard Roberts: “Ms Aukett was acting in the course of her employment when she was attacked by a child known as X.

“He had attacked another child and she removed the other children from the room to safety when X launched himself at her in the corridor and punched her in the chest and pinched her.

“He then kicked her in the hip and groin and legs.”

‘A very nasty assault’

Her barrister said the child who hit Ms Aukett had learning difficulties and a “vulnerable background” and said her client fully accepted this.

“But this was a very nasty assault which had physical and mental health consequences for her,” she added.

Lawyers for Hillingdon claimed Ms Aukett had been trained in how to restrain pupils and de-escalate incidents.

But council barrister Roderick Abbott told the judge that given the school’s general awareness of the boy’s history it would have been “impossible for Ms Aukett to be unaware of X’s behaviour”.

He accepted that Ms Aukett was “the victim of a violent attack while doing a difficult job” but denied that the school failed in its duty to safeguard her.

Judge Roberts commented: “The parties are to be commended.

“Well, Ms Aukett, bringing a law claim is very difficult and proving cases is very difficult, but you’ve done that, so well done.”