Teacher gave pupils exam answers

The ban follows a disciplinary panel finding that Helen Louise Wood, 47, who taught at Haydock Sports College was guilty of “unacceptable professional conduct” which could bring the teaching profession into disrepute.

Wood was a history teacher in the school’s Humanities Department from 2002 to 2014. But a National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) disciplinary panel found that in the final year she was there she was guilty of serious dishonesty over the assessments.

They found that she had: provided students with an answer sheet and directed students to include in their response to the Controlled Assessment the terms in bold in the answer sheet; supported a student, Pupil A, in his response to the assessment by providing him with written documentation.

The panel’s findings say: “The panel was satisfied that, by the standards of reasonable and honest people, the instruction by Ms Wood to pupils to include in their responses the level and extent of content which had been prepared by her as if it were the work of the pupils themselves, amounted to dishonest conduct.

“The panel was also satisfied that Ms Wood knew that, by those standards, her conduct was dishonest.

“She knew that, by providing this level of support, the work would not accurately reflect the ability of the pupils and would provide a misleading picture to those with responsibility for the assessment and moderation of such work.”

In recommending that she should be banned from teaching and never be given the chance to have the ban lifted the findings continue : “Taking account of the nature and seriousness of the conduct giving rise to the allegations and for the reasons outlined, Ms Wood should not be entitled to apply in the future for the prohibition order to be set aside.”

Imposing the ban on behalf of Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, NCTL official, Paul Heathcote said he agreed with the recommendation of the disciplinary panel.

“In view of the general seriousness of Ms Wood’s actions and specifically that her actions were dishonest, I agree that the order should be without the opportunity for Ms Wood to apply to have it set aside,” he said.

Wood has the right to appeal to the High Court against the decision.