Latest news with #TeachingRegulationAuthority
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
Teacher showed blackface film to class of nine and 10-year-olds
A primary school teacher who accidentally showed a film clip containing blackface to a class of pupils aged nine to 10 has been found to have behaved inappropriately. Grace Whiley played the video of an old Sinbad film during an English lesson for Year 5 pupils at Bluebell Primary School in Norwich. The Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA) said she should have been aware that its content would be considered unacceptable by modern standards. Ms Whiley was also found to have said a pupil was 'daddy's little princess' and that Muslims 'are entitled and think they're better than everyone else' a month later. However, she was not banned from teaching, despite being found to have made 'inappropriate and derogatory remarks' and 'stereotyping people in a negative way on the basis of their culture or cultural or religious heritage or presentation'. In January 2024, while the Year 5 pupils were studying Sinbad the Sailor, Ms Whiley played the clip because it showed Sinbad's dress and appearance, she told the TRA panel. She claimed to have only previewed five minutes of the film clip before playing it and was not aware of there being any blackface in the part she saw. Ms Whiley stopped the clip when she noticed it and mentioned to the class that the film was 'old-fashioned and that sometimes things were shown differently'. The panel found that although it was accidental, Ms Whiley should have ensured that any video she used in her class teaching was appropriate for her pupils. It said: 'She had not been sufficiently thorough in her checking of the video and, in consequence, had exposed the Year 5 pupils in her class to the blackface film content. 'The panel found that this constituted her behaving in an inappropriate way.' In February 2024, Ms Whiley was accused of stating that Pupil B was 'daddy's little princess' and making the remarks about Muslims. The teacher denied using those words. She admitted that she had said to another staff member: 'I was surprised by her (Pupil B's) behaviour but thought it might be because she has been spoilt by her father because Islamic fathers sometimes do that.' Ms Whiley said there were no pupils present. The panel found that the remarks she made included 'daddy's little princess' and said words to the effect of 'that's how Muslims are', 'they are entitled' and 'they think they know better than anyone else'. It said that it was 'incumbent upon Ms Whiley as a teacher in a school setting not to make any derogatory remarks about any individual pupil or parent, or group of pupils or parents, or to stereotype such persons in a negative way on the basis of their culture or cultural or religious heritage or presentation'. The panel went on: 'In a school environment there was also the potential for remarks made near a classroom to be overheard by third parties, including pupils. 'Teacher must ensure that they do not behave in a way that may lead others to think that it was acceptable for teachers to hold views such as Ms Whiley had expressed or make remarks of the nature made by Ms Whiley.' It found that she had behaved in an inappropriate and unprofessional way in relation to those allegations. Accusations that Ms Whiley had referred to another pupil as a 'watermelon' in a classroom were not found to be proven. The panel said an order banning Ms Whiley from teaching was 'not proportionate or in the public interest' because of her 'remorse' and the 'low risk that she would repeat the behaviour'. Ms Whiley resigned from teaching in March 2024. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
14-04-2025
- Telegraph
Teacher showed blackface film to class of nine and 10-year-olds
A primary school teacher who accidentally showed a film clip containing blackface to a class of pupils aged nine to 10 has been found to have behaved inappropriately. Grace Whiley played the video of an old Sinbad film during an English lesson for Year 5 pupils at Bluebell Primary School in Norwich. The Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA) said she should have been aware that its content would be considered unacceptable by modern standards. Ms Whiley was also found to have said a pupil was 'daddy's little princess' and that Muslims 'are entitled and think they're better than everyone else' a month later. However, she was not banned from teaching, despite being found to have made 'inappropriate and derogatory remarks' and 'stereotyping people in a negative way on the basis of their culture or cultural or religious heritage or presentation'. In January 2024, while the Year 5 pupils were studying Sinbad the Sailor, Ms Whiley played the clip because it showed Sinbad's dress and appearance, she told the TRA panel. She claimed to have only previewed five minutes of the film clip before playing it and was not aware of there being any blackface in the part she saw. Ms Whiley stopped the clip when she noticed it and mentioned to the class that the film was 'old-fashioned and that sometimes things were shown differently'. The panel found that although it was accidental, Ms Whiley should have ensured that any video she used in her class teaching was appropriate for her pupils. It said: 'She had not been sufficiently thorough in her checking of the video and, in consequence, had exposed the Year 5 pupils in her class to the blackface film content. 'The panel found that this constituted her behaving in an inappropriate way.' In February 2024, Ms Whiley was accused of stating that Pupil B was 'daddy's little princess' and making the remarks about Muslims. The teacher denied using those words. She admitted that she had said to another staff member: 'I was surprised by her (Pupil B's) behaviour but thought it might be because she has been spoilt by her father because Islamic fathers sometimes do that.' Ms Whiley said there were no pupils present. The panel found that the remarks she made included 'daddy's little princess' and said words to the effect of 'that's how Muslims are', 'they are entitled' and 'they think they know better than anyone else'. It said that it was 'incumbent upon Ms Whiley as a teacher in a school setting not to make any derogatory remarks about any individual pupil or parent, or group of pupils or parents, or to stereotype such persons in a negative way on the basis of their culture or cultural or religious heritage or presentation'. The panel went on: 'In a school environment there was also the potential for remarks made near a classroom to be overheard by third parties, including pupils. 'Teacher must ensure that they do not behave in a way that may lead others to think that it was acceptable for teachers to hold views such as Ms Whiley had expressed or make remarks of the nature made by Ms Whiley.' It found that she had behaved in an inappropriate and unprofessional way in relation to those allegations. Accusations that Ms Whiley had referred to another pupil as a 'watermelon' in a classroom were not found to be proven. The panel said an order banning Ms Whiley from teaching was 'not proportionate or in the public interest' because of her 'remorse' and the 'low risk that she would repeat the behaviour'. Ms Whiley resigned from teaching in March 2024.
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.
