Hearing: Rew ‘impaired’ but not unfit to teach.

Mrs Rew’s ability to teach found to be ‘impaired’

A disciplinary hearing into a principal’s drunken behaviour in front of pupils has found her teaching is “impaired”.

Gillian Rew was the headteacher of Arbroath High School when she drank at least eight glasses of wine and engaged in “improper contact” and “inappropriate conversations” with sixth year students on an adventure trip to Lockerbie.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland found her “ability to teach is impaired” after a two-day hearing, but stopped short of ruling she is unfit to teach.

Mrs Rew admitted that she engaged in “inappropriate conversations with, made inappropriate comments to and had improper contact with pupils”, while under the influence of alcohol.

But she denied she was unfit to teach and hopes to return to the classroom.

The incident happened on the night of a fashion show, ceilidh and disco in September 2014 at Lockerbie Manor activity centre.

She was sacked from her £74,000-a-year post before a police probe was launched and later dropped.

GTCS case presenter Kate Hart said of the incident: “It did serve to bring disrepute to the profession.

“Parents and pupils were significantly affected, not only by the incident itself, but also from the aftermath.”

Alastair Milne, representing Mrs Rew, said she had an “unblemished teaching career” before she experienced a “perfect storm” of problems at home and at work.

A written notice of the fitness to teach panel’s decision on sanctions is to be published within two weeks.

The options include issuing no order, a reprimand, attaching conditions to her teacher registration with or without a reprimand and removal from the register.

Gillian Rew was sacked from her £74,000-a-year post.