Fitness to Teach Panel (FtTP) Hearings - 4-6 October and 1-3, 8, 9 November 2017

Type of hearing: Full Hearing
Location: Clerwood House, 96 Clermiston Road, Edinburgh, EH12 6UT
Allegation:

1. On exact dates unknown between 2005 and 2013, whilst employed as Head Teacher of a North Lanarkshire Council Inclusion Support Base (ISB) you did:
   1. introduce a voucher system which
      1. was not used in its entirety for its intended purpose of rewarding attendance at the ISB
      2. was used by you to a value of approximately £700 for use which was not connected to work at the ISB
      3. was used by you to buy alcohol and food for occasions when you should have purchased those goods yourself
      4. you pressurised colleagues to misuse
   2. misuse school funds by
      1. paying for a staff meal using said funds
      2. instructing a member of your staff to take action to create the impression that pupils had attended a staff meal at 1(b)(I) above when they had not.
   3. misuse two vehicles owned by the ISB by
      1. keeping said vehicles at your home address and using them to commute to work on a regular basis without informing your employer
      2. using said vehicles for your personal use not connected with work for ISB
      3. making said vehicles unavailable and forcing staff to continue to use their own vehicles for which they continued to submit claims for mileage at extra cost to your employer

And in light of the above, it is alleged that your fitness to teach is impaired and you are unfit to teach , as a result of breaching Parts 1.3, 1.4, 1.6 of the General Teaching Council for Scotland's Code of Professionalism and Conduct.

Members of the public and media are expected to give at least one working day's notice to GTCS if they wish to attend a hearing in order to allow staffing arrangements to be put in place.

You can view further details for Media attending hearings.

Fitness to Teach Panel (FtTP) Hearings - 9-13 October

Location: Clerwood House, 96 Clermiston Road, Edinburgh, EH12 6UT
Type of hearing: Full Hearing
Allegation(s)/Matter(s)

1. Between 8 February 2013 and 5 January 2014, whilst employed by Aberdeen City Council at School A, Aberdeen, you failed to maintain the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s Standards for Registration, in the following respects:

   2.1.5- Registered teachers have knowledge and understanding of the principles of assessment, recording and reporting

   You failed to know and understand how to apply the principles of assessment, recording and reporting as an integral part of the teaching process.

   You failed to have extensive knowledge and a secure understanding of the principles of assessment, methods of recording assessment information, the use of assessment in reviewing progress, in improving teaching and learning.

   You failed to have knowledge and understanding of the GIRFEC National Practice Model and how to apply this to support teaching and learning.

   For example:

   1. National, local and school advice for moderation and verification was not followed.

   3.3.1- Registered teachers use assessment, recording and reporting as an integral part of the teaching process to support and enhance learning.

   You failed to record assessment information in a systematic and meaningful way in order to enhance teaching and learning and to fulfil the requirements of the curriculum and awarding bodies.

   For example:

   1. Pupil scripts were not kept securely and as a result some assessment was not accounted for;
   2. Marking of pupil scripts in RME did not comply with guidelines in course documentation and the advice given by the Principal Teacher;
   3. National advice relating to closed book assessments in RME was not followed
   4. There was not reliable evidence for the National 4 added value unit and as a result some pupils who failed to gain a National 5 award did not achieve a course award for History;

   3.4.1- Registered teachers read and critically engage the professional literature, educational research and policy.

   You failed to read, analyse and critically evaluate a range of appropriate educational and research literature

   You failed to systematically engage with research and literature to challenge and inform professional practice.

   For example:

   a) you failed to follow the expectations set out in the GTC Scotland Code of Professionalism and Conduct.

2. Between 2011 and 2013, while employed by Aberdeen City Council at School B, Aberdeen, you did instigate inappropriate conversations with colleagues which contained sexual references, including;

   1. a discussion in which you referred to the launch of a new range of bras;
   2. a conversation with a female colleague in which you made reference to a brothel;
   3. in reference to two pupils, stating to a colleague, words to the effect of “Every man’s dream, twins, but not at their age, of course”
   4. reciting a joke which you had seen on television of a sexual nature;
   5. stating to a colleague, words to the effect of “remember I spoke to you about class 4.1 coming into PSE and taking about ‘sixty-niners’.”;
   6. stating to a colleague, words to the effect of, “it’s amazing how sexual girls names have”;
   7. after a pupil made a comment about how another pupil’s haircut made her “look like an Egyptian”, you did say words to the effect that “it is possible to get an Egyptian down there along the lines of a Brazilian” in reference to shaving around a bikini line;
3. On or around 4 March 2013, whilst employed at School A, you did make a remark of a racist nature towards a pupil in that you said words to the effect of “Are you sure you are not a terrorist, that’s alright then, at least you are not putting poison on the door handle;
4. On or around 13 May 2013, whilst employed at School A, you did have an inappropriate conversation with a pupil in which you referred to sex and pornography and stated words to the effect of how the pupil would feel if you spoke to her about porn and sex;
5. On or around 30 August 2013, whilst employed at School A, you did stare at the legs of a female colleague and look up her skirt;

And in light of the above, it is alleged that your fitness to teach is impaired and you are unfit to teach as a result of breaching Parts 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 and 2.3 of the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s Code of Professionalism and Conduct.

Members of the public and media are expected to give at least one working day's notice to GTCS if they wish to attend a hearing in order to allow staffing arrangements to be put in place.

You can view further details for Media attending hearings.

In relation to applications for privacy, media are entitled to make representations to the Panel if they so wish. Further information can be found in the GTCS Conducting Hearings in Private Practice Statement Conducting Hearings in Private - Practice Statement.

Where a member of the media wishes to make such representations but does not wish to attend the hearing, representations can be provided in writing.