Teacher who made up last school reference banned

A teacher who got a senior role after sending a false reference that she pretended was from her former school's head teacher has been banned from the profession.

Kate Barnes-Kidd, who is 34, was working at a Windsor school when she successfully applied to become a special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) at another in the town.

She provided a Gmail address that she said was the personal account of her former head teacher.

On being confronted with her lies at her new school soon after starting, she resigned and said she "did not want to work at a school that behaved in this manner".

The schools' head teachers realised something was wrong during a telephone conversation, when Ms Barnes-Kidd's new employer was told her previous head teacher had never submitted a reference.

Her previous employer told a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel she was "shocked" to read it, and that it was a "factually inaccurate representation of [Ms Barnes-Kidd's] experience, knowledge and time" at her school.

She also said she had never had a Gmail account.

"There was no evidence that Ms Barnes-Kidd's actions were not deliberate – indeed, the evidence was to the contrary," the panel found.

It said she also provided false information in order to benefit from paid leave.

The panel said it was never provided with any evidence of insight or remorse from Ms Barnes-Kidd.

It banned her from teaching from at least five years.

She will be able to apply to have her registration restored in November 2029.

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