Ban for teacher who told pupils about drunken night

A teacher who told pupils about her private life, including relationships and drunken nights out, has been banned by a watchdog.

Natasha Blackmore, 36, who was head of design technology at Westfield Academy secondary in Yeovil, Somerset, shared inappropriate details about her social life, a Professional Conduct Panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency heard.

She showed pupils texts in which she had described another person in derogatory terms, joined group chats, and told them she had been smoking and drinking on a hen night.

Blackmore admitted unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, and failing to maintain professional boundaries.

The report says up to five students would go to see Blackmore during breaks and lunchtimes at the school, and one pupil said the teacher saw them as friends, not students.

During a hearing on 24 March the panel found she disclosed "significant inappropriate details" about her personal life to pupils; spent excessive time with pupils; exchanged messages with pupils on social media group chats and arranged a meeting with pupils during school holidays.

During an investigation by the school, one student, referred to as Pupil A, said Blackmore had invited the group to meet her dog in the school holidays.

She also said the teacher had told them that she went on a hen do and "got really drunk and she was vaping and smoking".

Pupil A stated she had thought it was all fine in the beginning, but it had developed into "some kind of weird relationship" where they told each other "everything".

One pupil said four pupils would sit with Blackmore in her room at every break and lunch. She stated the conversations were regarding "how our day has been, behaviour, their home life, friends, arguments. The normal," says the report.

Blackmore said the children had been very supportive when her dog died.

She said: "If it hadn't been for those students and the support they showed me after I lost [REDACTED], I don't think I would have come back to work properly due to the way I was feeling."

Blackmore admitted to joining a pupil's group chat on Instagram and arranging for them to come and meet her dog at Yeovil Recreational Centre. The meeting breached the staff code of conduct, the panel found.

One parent said she was never worried anything underhand was happening and that Blackmore had been "a really good teacher".

The report added: "The panel was satisfied that the conduct of Ms Blackmore amounted to misconduct of a serious nature which fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession.

"Accordingly, the panel was satisfied that Ms Blackmore was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct."

She is banned indefinitely but can apply to have this reviewed after two years.

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