£70,000 payout after safety police sack teacher for pruning a tree

Tracey Smith was suspended from her job on full pay by her employers at a school for children with behavioural problems as she faced a string of allegations.

It was alleged she imposed an “inappropriate sanction” for a student’s misbehaviour, had not got on with colleagues, and pruned a tree against health and safety rules at Aldine House school in Dore, Sheffield.

Ms Smith, 44, said: “It all started when I put forward a bullying complaint against my line manager.

“As it is a school for children with behavioural difficulties, we were heavily supervised in our teaching, and my line manager suggested I was not doing my job correctly.

“I loved that job, I got on well with the pupils and built up strong relationships with them.”

Ms Smith a mother of a teenage son, from Crosspool, Sheffield, previously worked in mainstream schools before moving to the secure unit school in 2010.

At an initial tribunal hearing, Ms Smith won her case and was awarded more than £18,000 in compensation, after slamming the claims against her as ‘ridiculous’.

A second employment tribunal saw the first verdict upheld and she was awarded a further £52,400.

Sheffield Council, which runs the school, said it is considering an appeal.

Ms Smith was suspended in August 2010 on full pay and dismissed in May 2011.

She said: “The case has destroyed my career and has been a complete waste of public money.

“They employed a barrister and instructed a solicitor, and would have drummed up 10 days of court costs.

“They had to pay me for a year on full pay and then hand out £70,000 in compensation. Who is picking up the bill?”