The youngster was permanently excluded from Jarrow School by headteacher Les Jones after the incident at the end of the spring term, but that decision was later overturned by governors.

Now the youngster has left the school to start afresh in a move union bosses say is for the best.

Mr Jones said: "A decision to permanently exclude a pupil is never taken lightly, and, in this case, very detailed consideration was given before the decision was taken.

"An important part of the consideration given is the future welfare and education of the pupil.

"I was confident that the pupil would continue with a good education elsewhere, and I now believe that this is the case."

The incident happened when a teacher from a nearby classroom went into a room where pupils were behaving noisily.

When he asked them to tidy their room, the boy, in Year 8 at the time, is alleged to have hurled abuse and headbutted the teacher before fleeing through a first-floor window at the Field Terrace school.

Members of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) at the school refused to teach him.

Mick Lyons, north-east national executive member for the teaching union the NASUWT, said: "This outcome is the best thing for everyone concerned. The boy can have a fresh start in a new school, and it removes the problem from Jarrow School.

"They wouldn't have had to go through this rigmarole if the governors had just backed the headteacher in the first place."

A South Tyneside Council spokesman said: "The council has been working closely with the pupil, and his parents, in an effort to resolve the situation, and the pupil has now enrolled at another school."

Mr Jones added: "For three years now at Jarrow School, we have worked tirelessly to eradicate poor behaviour, and I am pleased to say that our pupils are now as well behaved as in any other school in the area.

"The school is calm and orderly. This is a direct result of having good staff, the clarity in our policies, and the consideration we give when a pupil oversteps the mark."