Teacher banned after fiddling coursework

A FORMER vice principal of a college has been banned from teaching after he admitted fiddling students’ coursework.

Andrew Grantham, who resigned from Irlam and Cadishead College last year, awarded some pupils a ‘pass’ or ‘merit’ without marking their papers. He was alleged to have engaged in the ‘maladministration’ of a BTEC Business Studies course during 2016/17.

A professional hearing was told he:

Failed to submit one or more pupils’ coursework by the required deadline.

Copied the work of one or more pupils to use as the work of another pupil.

Marked work as being properly completed when he knew or ought to have known parts of it had been conduct panel copied and/or did not represent the pupils’ own work.

Completed assessment decisions and/or observation records for work pupils had not undertaken.

Awarded one or more pupils a ‘pass’ and/or ‘merit’ without marking their work.

Asked one individual to lie and/or provide an inaccurate report to the headteacher.

Mr Grantham admitted the allegations in their entirety in a signed Statement of Agreed Facts to the government’s Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).

He had been employed at the college from January to June 2017. On June 15, several pupils informed the principal that they were concerned their coursework had not been submitted on time, the TRA ruling said.

An investigation was launched which revealed a number of issues and Mr Grantham was suspended on June 22. He resigned on June 30.

A professional conduct panel held by the TRA also considered evidence that Mr Grantham viewed his actions as ‘out of character to anything he had ever done’ and that he is ‘unable to reconcile the person he thought himself to be and the person that he felt ashamed of.’

The panel also noted the evidence given by a witness, including that the college was in special measures. The panel felt this could have created challenging circumstances for a new member of staff. The panel heard how this affected Mr Grantham’s selfesteem and he started to believe ‘he was the worst teacher in the world.’

The TRA also noted evidence that Mr Grantham felt he could not rely on others at the college for support, and that the culture in terms of teamwork was not the same as at his previous school. Mr Grantham had an unblemished 24-year career at his previous school.

A TRA report, published in July this year, said: “The panel was concerned that Mr Grantham’s behaviour was calculated and that he tried to conceal his actions and had attempted to influence Witness A during the course of the college’s investigations.”

The panel concluded Mr Grantham was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and banned him from teaching indefinitely. He may apply for the prohibition order to be set aside, but not until 2021.

Councillor Lisa Stone, Salford council’s lead member for children’s and young people’s services, praised pupils for speaking out. “Their concerns were investigated and this appalling practice was discovered”, she said. “Fraud like this has no place in our schools.”