A teacher who walked into a door after drinking cans of cider in his classroom has been banned from teaching.
Jon Downs, 36, a religious studies teacher at Westhoughton High School in Bolton, was prohibited from teaching after he admitted to a professional conduct panel that he had consumed alcohol on school premises.
A witness giving evidence to the disciplinary panel for the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) reported that Mr Downs’ behaviour was “quite out of character” on 3 July 2023.
The panel heard “there had been a smell of alcohol [from Mr Downs] whilst walking across the school yard”.
One employee, referred to as Individual A, said that Mr Downs “questioned the way to her office, despite having been there on multiple occasions”.
Another witness claimed Mr Downs then walked straight into the main building door, a “door he frequently used”.
She stated that his behaviour did not appear normal, and as they sat in an office, she could “smell alcohol coming from him”.
The member of staff said she left the room briefly and returned to Mr Downs’ classroom where she “discreetly” searched his wastepaper bin, finding three empty cider cans.
She returned to confront the teacher, who allegedly admitted to finishing the cans of cider in his classroom when no students were there.
The next day, another staff member found a school-branded plastic bottle with 3cm of cider left at the bottom on the far side Mr Downs’ desk.
Reviewing photos of the cider cans and Mr Downs’ admissions to having consumed alcohol on school premises with pupils in his care, the teaching panel was satisfied that Mr Downs’ actions put pupils at risk of potential harm.
Marc Cavey, chief executive of the Teaching Regulation Agency, said: “The panel noted that there was some insight and remorse on the part of Mr Downs and did note that Mr Downs acknowledged his wrongdoing.
“In my judgement, the lack of evidence that Mr Downs has developed full insight into his behaviour means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this puts at risk the future wellbeing of pupils.”
The panel found Mr Downs guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and he was barred from teaching indefinitely.
He may apply for the prohibition order to be set aside in two years’ time, the teaching regulatory panel added.
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