A supply teacher has been fired after reportedly wearing a 'Free Palestine' badge when teaching.
The sacking was confirmed by the headteacher of West Hatch High School in Chigwell, Daniel Leonard, in a letter to parents.
The letter, seen by the Guardian Series, referred to a TikTok video that was posted, naming the school and reportedly showing the teacher with the badge on.
Mr Leonard wrote: "At West Hatch we strive to maintain an inclusive and neutral learning environment where all students feel safe, respected, and valued.
"Yesterday, it came to our attention that a supply teacher had been wearing a badge displaying the phrase Free Palestine during lessons.
"While we respect individuals' rights to hold personal beliefs and express themselves, it is imperative for educators to remain impartial and refrain from promoting political agendas in the classroom."
The headteacher said in his letter that the supply teacher had never been used by the school before, and was recruited from an external agency.
According to Mr Leonard, the badge caused a number of staff and pupils at the school to feel "discomfort and disruption".
He added: "At West Hatch we strive to maintain an inclusive and neutral learning environment where all students feel safe, respected, and valued.
"After careful consideration and discussions with the supply teacher, it became evident that their refusal to remove the badge compromised our school's commitment to neutrality and impartiality.
"Therefore, in the best interest of our students and the integrity of our educational environment, we had to take the difficult decision to remove the supply teacher from their teaching responsibilities at our school."
The Guardian Series contacted the school to confirm the contents of the letter and offer West Hatch High School an opportunity to provide further comment.
A school spokesperson confirmed they sent the letter, but declined to comment.
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