Kettering teacher hid his criminal shame

Dean Reinard, a former English teacher and Year 8 form tutor at Kettering Science Academy, even made up a job to make sure police didn't tell the school of his convictions and suspended jail terms.

Reinard, 50, gained a job at the Deeble Road school in September 2013 but 18 months later was convicted of drink-driving in Staffordshire and banned from the roads for five years.

In December 2016 he was again in court and convicted of driving whilst disqualified and without insurance, with magistrates giving him a four-month suspended prison sentence.

Three months later, in February 2017, he was guilty of the same offences and again given a suspended prison sentence.

All the time he was teaching at the Brooke Weston Trust school but failed to tell them of his arrests and convictions. It was only on an unknown date in 2017 that bosses became aware and investigated.

Kettering Science Academy principal Tony Segalini said: "Mr Reinard deliberately concealed his latest convictions from the school and so, as soon as we were made aware, we took immediate action.

"He was suspended and a full investigation was carried out.

"We followed all internal and external procedures and informed the Teaching Standards Agency. In the school’s internal investigation Mr Reinard was found guilty of gross misconduct and dismissed.

"We are pleased with the outcome of this judgement as it clearly demonstrates the need for there to be honesty and professionalism between staff and their employer."

In December 2016 he had lied to the police and told them he was a shop manager rather than a teacher.

A Teaching Regulation Agency hearing panel said: "We find that Mr Reinard told the police that he was a shop manager knowing that this was not true in a deliberate attempt to conceal his true occupation.

"We consider that the motivation for this was to seek to avoid the potential consequences of the academy finding out about his arrests and convictions."

Reinard, who took no part in the disciplinary proceedings, had previously been banned from the roads for drink-driving in 2009.

He was then caught driving whilst disqualified just 50 days later and given a three-month suspended prison sentence and unpaid work.

The panel heard that when he applied for the job in 2013 he ticked a box to say he had previous convictions and that there was a note listing various driving convictions.

Mr Segalini added: "Although the school was aware of Mr Reinard’s previous conviction at the time of his appointment, which was under the jurisdiction of a previous principal, historic drink-driving convictions, although not condoned, would not automatically preclude a school from employing a teacher if they had the right professional qualifications and were a good classroom practitioner."

His employment was terminated in February 2018.

The panel said he had showed a lack of remorse and had acted with 'a lack of integrity and dishonestly'. They added that his actions were 'calculated and motivated'.

They said: "Driving with excess alcohol carries the risk of causing serious harm to other road users and demonstrates a disregard for the safety of members of the public.

"For the offence of failing to provide an evidential specimen Mr Reinard received a suspended sentence which is indicative of the gravity of the conduct.

"In driving whilst disqualified Mr Reinard demonstrated a disregard for the sentence previously passed by a criminal court."

Reinard was banned from teaching indefinitely and will not be able to apply to be allowed back in the classroom until August 2023.

Decision maker Alan Meyrick said: "In my view, it is necessary to impose a prohibition order in order to maintain public confidence in the profession."