Teacher banned after driving and knife offences

A teacher who was convicted of drink driving and carrying two large kitchen knives in her bag has been banned from the profession.

Lauren Jenkins, 39, who taught at Merlin Top Primary School in Keighley, pleaded guilty to both offences between March and September 2022 but failed to notify the school.

After a professional conduct hearing, it was found that even though her crimes were committed outside school, her actions "demonstrated a lack of integrity" that could bring the profession into disrepute.

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel ruled that Ms Jenkins actions amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and she was prohibited from teaching indefinitely.

The panel heard that in February 2022 Ms Jenkins was seen driving into a car park by an off-duty police officer, who believed she may have been drunk.

He called 999 and Ms Jenkins was breathalysed.

She was found to be three times over the legal limit for driving.

She was subsequently banned from driving for two years, given a 12-month community order and fined £180.

Then, in August of the same year, Ms Jenkins was arrested for possessing a bladed article after police were called to a disturbance where she had become involved in a fight while drunk.

Officers found two large kitchen knives in her bag, which were not brandished during the incident.

Ms Jenkins admitted the charges and was later sentenced to 12 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months and fined £239.

The panel also heard Ms Jenkins had phoned a colleague and told him she had "done something silly" and been caught drink driving, but before the school could finish an internal investigation she resigned on 21 October 2022.

It was found Ms Jenkins, who had worked at the school since 2009, violated the school's "outside of work" code of conduct and failed in her duty to disclose the "change in her circumstances".

The TRA said Ms Jenkins' actions were not in keeping with "fundamental British values" and could potentially "affect public confidence in the teaching profession".

While she had been described as a "fantastic" teacher by staff, it was found she showed "no evidence of remorse or insight" about her conduct.

TRA decision maker Sarah Buxcey said: "The findings of misconduct are particularly serious as they include a finding which involved offences which placed the public at a risk of harm, and conduct found to be dishonest and that lacked integrity."

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