Wellingborough teacher banned following misconduct hearing over marking

A teacher has been banned from the classroom for two years following a misconduct hearing.

Esme Higgins, 31, who used to teach at Weavers Academy in Wellingborough, was given the order following a misconduct hearing by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) last month.

The panel met to discuss three allegations, in that while a PE teacher at Weavers Academy in the academic year 2018-2019, Mrs Higgins:

1.Deliberately and/or negligently breached external examination codes and regulations in relation to one or more Year 11 BTEC pupils by:

a) failing to mark one or more pupil assignments

b) failing to ensure that a sample of her pupils' work was internally verified and/or moderated by colleagues

c) completing the school's tracker document without having marked the majority of her pupils' work

2. On April 2, 2019 told her head of department that she had lost a folder of pupil work when in fact the work had not been completed

3. By her actions as set out in allegation two, she was dishonest

A report published this week said Mrs Higgins admitted the facts of all three allegations and that her behaviour amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.

The report said Mrs Higgins started her employment at Weavers Academy as a PE teacher in July 2013 and a Raising Standards Leader from September 2017.

In July 2019, final marks for the sport BTEC course were submitted for the then Year 11 cohort.

But concerns regarding the results were raised by the head of the department in September.

An initial fact-finding exercise was performed on October 2, and a formal disciplinary investigation started on October 18.

Disciplinary investigation meetings took place on October 23, with Mrs Higgins suspended on November 4 following investigation interviews.

On November 15, a declaration of alleged malpractice and maladministration was submitted to the Joint Council for Qualification.

The matter was also referred to Pearson, the examination board.

Mrs Higgins handed in her resignation to the school on January 23, 2020, and her employment ended on February 14 that year.

A referral was made to the TRA on June 12, 2020.

In their deliberations, the panel noted that Higgins was not a junior member of staff, she was a Raising Standards Leader and she should have been aware that marking is an integral part of any teacher’s role.

They also noted that Mrs Higgins, being an experienced teacher, should know where and when to obtain support, and despite this being offered, she did not take this up.

The misconduct panel found Mrs Higgins in breach of the following standards:

- Teachers uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school

- Teachers must have proper and professional regard for the ethos, policies and practices of the school in which they teach, and maintain high standards in their own attendance and punctuality

- Teachers must have an understanding of, and always act within, the statutory frameworks which set out their professional duties and responsibilities

The panel was also ‘satisfied that the conduct of Mrs Higgins fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession.’

The panel recommended to the Secretary of State for Education that a prohibition order be made with a review period of two years, which was granted.

It means Mrs Higgins is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or

children’s home in England.

She may apply for the prohibition order to be set aside, but not until 2024.

If she does apply, a panel will meet to consider whether the prohibition order should be set aside.

Without a successful application, Mrs Higgins remains prohibited from teaching indefinitely.