Teacher ‘emotionally blackmailed’ pupil
ATEACHER banned from the classroom over an inappropriate relationship with a pupil was able to continue working with children for two years after the allegations first came to light.
Bethany Woodcock began working as a maths teacher at Hollingworth Learning Trust at Newhouse Academy in Heywood, in April 2020.
In November 2021 the school launched an investigation regarding a relationship with a female pupil but she resigned before the investigation concluded, in February 2022.
An investigation was also launched by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) which looks into cases of serious teacher misconduct.
Following an investigation, in June 2023 she was banned from teaching indefinitely, and prohibited from teaching “in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England”.
A TRA panel found that Miss Woodcock had “emotionally blackmailed” the vulnerable female pupil.
They also concluded she had “relished the flattery she was receiving” from the girl who found her attractive, told her “you’re the sweetest” and hugged her on several occasions.
The 29-year-old teacher also told the girl “you’re not allowed to shut me out” and said “I’m never leaving you ever” and “you are safe with me and you always will be safe with me”.
Miss Woodcock admitted the inappropriate communication with the pupil and failing to report safeguarding concerns relating to the girl’s feelings for her but denied hugging her on one or more occasions.
However, the panel was shown email evidence in which the pupil told Miss Woodcock: “I will probably want more hugs on Monday”.
In June 2023, the teaching panel deemed public confidence in the profession could be seriously weakened if Miss Woodcock’s conduct were not treated with the “utmost seriousness”.
It also found the former teacher ‘hounded’ the pupil, and partly blamed them for the situation, rather than displaying genuine remorse.
The panel was also “concerned that there could be instances of repetition were Miss Woodcock to continue teaching without prohibition”.
Their report added: “The findings of miscon
duct are particularly serious as they include findings of overly familiar and inappropriate communications with children.”
Following the publication of an article on our sister title Lancs Live regarding Miss Woodcock’s teaching prohibition, Lancslive was contacted by a member of 2nd Rossendale Scout Group in Bacup who revealed she had been volunteering as a leader up until she was banned from teaching.
Following her ban from the classroom, an officer from the group confirmed that a safeguarding process had been initiated and Miss Woodcock will not be allowed to return to the group. The officer said that Miss Woodcock had told the group that she had been working as a teaching assistant at a primary school in Rossendale. Although it has not been confirmed how long she was involved with the Scout group she was sharing social media posts about their events in December 2022.
The Scout leader told Lancslive: “Your article was brought to my attention as the person named, Bethany Woodcock, is a leader in our group and has contact with children and young people teaching the playing of brass instruments.
“The Scout Association has process[es] and procedure for dealing with
safeguarding situations and I would wish to follow them to the letter in this instance. Beth has stated to me that the school issued the information in error, that it was not true and should not have been published.”
Unless an interim prohibition notice is issued at the time the TRA looks into a teacher’s conduct – which only happens in the most serious of cases – a teacher is able to continue working as a teacher and with children.
This means that, in Miss Woodcock’s case, she was able to continue working with children for almost two years after the allegations first surfaced.
A spokesperson for the Department for Education, which oversees the TRA, highlighted guidance from February 2022 relating to prohibition notices.
The guidance states: “The Secretary of State also has the power to impose an interim prohibition order if it is considered to be in the public interest to do so. This power is usually reserved for cases where there has been a particularly serious allegation and a judgment is made that the teacher should not teach while an investigation is undertaken by the TRA.”
Furthermore, prohibition notices apply to ‘teaching work’. The Teachers’ Disciplinary (England) Regulations
2012 defines teaching work as planning and preparing lessons and courses for pupils, delivering lessons to pupils, assessing the development, progress and attainment of pupils and reporting on the development, progress and attainment of pupils.
However, these activities are not teaching work as prohibited by the TRA if the person carrying out the activity does so under direction and supervision of a qualified teacher. This means that someone who is subject to a prohibition notice can continue working in a school, in a role such as a teaching assistant, as long as they are supervised by a teacher.
Lancslive called Miss Woodcock to offer her the opportunity to comment and also to respond to a claim she had also been working as a teaching assistant after leaving her employment at Hollingworth Learning Trust at Newhouse Academy.
She confirmed it was her and we then explained the reason for our call and said: “We understand you’ve been working as a teaching assistant” at which point Miss Woodcock ended the call.
While Miss Woodcock did not act outside the rules, one former colleague of Miss Woodcock’s said greater safeguarding procedures should be in place regarding teachers under investigation.
They said: “I’m absolutely horrified that she was able to get another job in a school. And the Scouts only found out she was banned from teaching when they read your article.”
A spokesman for the Scouts said: “We are aware of the recent professional misconduct panel involving Bethany Woodcock. The case in question does not relate to her involvement in the Scout Movement. “Bethany Woodcock is currently suspended from her role in Scouting and we are investigating the case. As this is ongoing we cannot comment further at the current time.
“The Scout Association carries out stringent vetting of all adults who work with young people and requires them to work to strict guidelines outlined in the ‘Young People First’ Code of Good Practice’.”
The Scout vetting policy states that regular reviews are carried out of adult volunteers to ensure their continued suitability.
As part of the vetting arrangements, The Scout Association will also undertake a personal enquiry which involves a check made against records at UK Headquarters for all adult volunteers and, for certain roles, a criminal record check.