Swearing at pupils among raft of allegations faced by teacher

A TEACHER swore at pupils, telling them to "f*** off", calling them "little sh***" and also flicked a V-sign at them, a professional standards hearing was told.

- By ABBIE WIGHTWICK

It is also alleged that Alice Ashton also came to school under the influence of alcohol and/or smelled of alcohol at work.

Ms Ashton, who worked at Ysgol Bro Caereinion all-age school, in Welshpool, was also convicted of drink-driving, the Education Workforce Council Wales hearing was told.

The teacher faces a raft of allegations about her conduct during a personal and social education lesson at the school.

It is alleged that, as well as using foul language, she also refused pupils permission to leave the classroom and threatened one pupil that if he left the classroom “we will slag you off”, or words to that effect.

Deputy headteacher Edward Baldwin told the hearing, held remotely yesterday, that he was alerted when a parent rang him with serious allegations about Ms Ashton’s conduct during the lesson held in a computer suite at the school.

Mr Baldwin said he then spoke to pupils and looked at CCTV footage from the classroom.

Mr Baldwin said he did not know the teacher, other than through general introduction when she started at the school a few months earlier, and did not line manage her.