Latest news with #AshleyAtkin
Telegraph
25-03-2025
- Telegraph
Primary school teacher who turned up drunk to assembly suspended
A primary school teacher who turned up drunk to a school assembly has been suspended. Ashley Atkin, 38, had drunk more than a bottle of wine and arrived at work smelling 'pungently' of alcohol. The year one teacher was 'unsteady' on her feet and looked 'dazed' as she led her pupils into an assembly, it was heard. Her behaviour worried colleagues who reported their concerns before she was eventually driven home. She has now been found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute by a Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA) professional conduct panel. She has been banned indefinitely from classrooms in England and Wales. Ms Atkin was a teacher at Horn's Mill Primary School, Cheshire, in September 2023. In October, a colleague noticed that Ms Atkin smelt of alcohol when she went into her classroom before the start of the day. Moved 'slowly and gingerly' She was said to be 'unsteady' on her feet and moved 'slowly and gingerly' when taking the children to assembly. Ms Atkin then walked off to sit down on a chair away from her class as she 'looked dazed and was staggering'. When it was time to present the school's weekly 'Big Cheese', she leant forward and asked a colleague: 'Who is big cheese?' before handing them the certificate and saying,'you do it'. She was later taken into a meeting with bosses, where there was a 'pungent' smell of alcohol on her that was 'distinctive to drinking'. In her disciplinary investigation interview the following month, Ms Atkin admitted that she drank a bottle of white wine and another small glass of wine the evening before. She resigned from her role before the investigation was concluded. Despite initially claiming that she thought she was 'fit to teach' in the investigation meeting, in correspondence with the TRA last month, she said: 'I'm absolutely devastated about what happened and it's all I can think about.' She added that she was now in a 'much better place'. Guilty of unacceptable professional conduct Melissa West, who chaired the panel, said: 'The panel was satisfied that the conduct of Ms Atkin fell significantly short of the standard of behaviour expected of a teacher in that she presented at work after consuming alcohol and smelling of alcohol and for safeguarding reasons could not be left in charge of her class for the day. 'The panel was satisfied that Ms Atkin was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct.' She continued: 'Ms Atkin was teaching on Oct 20 2023; she went to work, on her evidence, having drunk a bottle and a glass of wine during the early hours of the morning. 'She was seen to be staggering, her eyes were glazed, and she appeared drunk. 'Ms Atkin was unprepared to start the school day and unable to lead her class in the assembly to be seated.' The hearing was told that she had admitted drink driving at Cheshire magistrates' court just months previously in July 2023 and had been fined and banned from driving for 18 months as a result. The panel heard that she had been over twice the legal limit for alcohol and was stopped by police as her driving was 'poor' and 'very hesitant' when turning a corner. 'Not an isolated incident' Mrs West said this showed that the proven allegations were 'not isolated incidents, and both incidents in June and October 2023 involved alcohol'. Marc Cavey, a civil servant who signed off on the ban on behalf of Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, said: 'The lack of evidence that Ms Atkin has developed full insight into and remorse for her actions means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this jeopardises the future wellbeing of pupils.' Ms Atkin cannot reapply to the profession for two years and has 28 days to appeal the ruling.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Yahoo
Drunk primary school teacher didn't know which child she was giving class award to
A teacher who turned up to work at her primary school drunk and smelling of alcohol 'looked dazed and was staggering around', according to fellow staff members. Ashley Atkin, 38, had glazed eyes and was unsteady on her feet as she prepared for an awards ceremony at Horn's Mill Primary in Helsby, Cheshire. The incident occurred on the morning October 20, 2023, when Atkin was due to hand out a 'Big Cheese' award to a high-achieving pupil in her Year 1 class. READ MORE: 'I was booted out of the army - now I'm on my way to making millions' READ MORE: Man arrested after 'letting off gas' in spate of incidents on Metrolink trams Another staff member found Atkin sitting at her desk in the dark, and said she 'seemed so fragile and her eyes were watery and puffy', and that she 'seemed drunk', the Teaching Regulation Agency heard. A professional conduct panel of the agency has now ruled she will not be allowed to return to the classroom, as it banned her from teaching in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England, but imposed a review period. In evidence presented to the TRA, the staff member said she could smell alcohol on Atkin's breath and she appeared to be 'trying to hide that she was drunk'. Concerns were raised about Atkin during the morning assembly and another staff member, known as witness B, approached her in the staff room. Atkin denied she had been drinking, but admitted she had been drinking heavily the night before. In a later disciplinary investigation interview on November 17, 2023, she stated that she drank a bottle of white wine and another small glass of wine on the night of October 19. Witness B reported the situation to another staff member, Witness A, who invited both Witness B and Atkin into her office to discuss the situation. Both Witnesses A and B said they could smell alcohol on Atkin. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE Witness A stated there was 'not a shadow of doubt that it was alcohol, while Witness B described the stench as 'pungent', 'strong' and 'distinctive to drinking'. Witness A stated that once the meeting was over, the room had to be aired out to get rid of the powerful smell, reports The Echo. Atkin denied being present at the school after consuming alcohol, but a TRA report, published in February 2025, found this was untrue. It further found the Y1 teacher's drinking had affected her behaviour and ability to carry out her work duties, as she had failed to prepare a "morning challenge" or plan the day for her class. She also failed to welcome children into the classroom and carry out the snack register. Witness C stated in written evidence that 'when [Ms Atkin] stood to take to children in [to the assembly] she seemed to have trouble with her dress round her feet and was unsteady. She moved slowly and gingerly.' After leading the children into the assembly, Atkin then walked off, leaving another staff member to sit the class down. The staff member said Atkin "looked dazed and was staggering". She was supposed to announce who the "Big Cheese" of her class was and hand out an award, but she did not know who the award winner was. After asking another teacher who the "Big Cheese" was, she handed her the certificate and said "you do it". Witnesses B and D described Atkin's eyes as being "glazed", and Witness B also stated that Atkin was slow to answer questions and was unstable on her feet. Concerns were raised that Atkin was not able to look after the children in her class, as one staff member said: "I felt [children in Ms Atkin's class] weren't safe with her. I felt reluctant to leave the children with her…' due to '…her slow reaction and slow communication with us as staff and a lack of awareness, that meant that the children potentially were not safe.' Following Atkin's meeting with Witnesses A and B, it was determined that Atkin should be driven home as she was not in a position to continue working in the school. A disciplinary investigation and launched, and Atkin resigned on 8 December 2023. The TRA professional conduct panel has now ruled that she will not allowed to return to the classroom, as it banned her from teaching in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England. It found her guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and bringing the profession into disrepute. The report read: "The panel was satisfied that the conduct of Ms Atkin fell significantly short of the standard of behaviour expected of a teacher in that she presented at work after consuming alcohol and smelling of alcohol and for safeguarding reasons could not be left in charge of her class for the day." It added: "The panel were satisfied that Ms Atkin's actions were deliberate. There was no evidence to suggest that Ms Atkin was acting under extreme duress... Ms Atkin was a teacher for 4 years, but there was no evidence of an exceptional contribution to teaching." Atkin had also denied being convicted of drink driving at Cheshire Magistrates Court in July 2023. However, court records obtained by the TRA proved this too was a lie, and the panel also found her guilty of receiving a conviction of a relevant offence. It concluded: "The lack of insight and genuine remorse shown by Ms Atkin meant that the panel could not be satisfied that there would not be repeated behaviours associated with alcohol in a school environment. "The panel decided that the findings indicated a situation in which a review period would be appropriate and, as such, decided that it would be proportionate, in all the circumstances, for the prohibition order to be recommended with provisions for a review period. As such, the panel decided that it would be proportionate for the prohibition order to be recommended, with provision for a review period after two years."
