Gregory Elleston, a former deputy headteacher at The Rowan School in Coseley in the West Midlands, has been banned from teaching after using inappropriate and excessive force towards pupils, The Express and Star has reported.

Elleston worked at the special needs school for children aged five to 11 from November 2017 until he resigned in May 2018.

A professional conduct panel made the decision on behalf of the education secretary at a virtual hearing which Elleston did not attend.

The panel heard that Elleston pulled and dragged a pupil across the floor, left red marks on a pupil’s face, engaged in inappropriate and/or excessive physical contact with one or more pupils on one or more occasions by holding their arms behind their backs, put his hand on their heads, and pushed their heads down.

Elleston admitted the facts of the allegations and that they amounted to unacceptable professional conduct.

In a statement submitted on behalf of the education secretary, decision-maker Sarah Buxcey said: “Mr Gregory Elleston is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

“Furthermore, in view of the seriousness of the allegations found proved against him, I have decided that Mr Elleston shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.”