Ban for teacher who told pupils about drunken night
Ban for Teacher Who Shared Personal Details with Students
A secondary school teacher has been indefinitely barred from working after sharing private aspects of her life with pupils, including relationships and social activities. Natasha Blackmore, 36, who served as head of design technology at Westfield Academy in Yeovil, Somerset, was found to have breached professional standards by revealing “significant inappropriate details” about her personal life during school hours.
Professional Boundaries Violated
The Teaching Regulation Agency’s panel heard that Blackmore exchanged messages with students in social media group chats and arranged a meeting with them during school breaks. One student claimed up to five peers would visit her in the staff room at lunchtimes, while another described a “weird relationship” where they shared personal conversations about school, behavior, and home life.
“I thought it was all fine at first, but it turned into something more like a friendship,” said a student who referred to as Pupil A. “She treated us as friends, not students, and we told each other everything.”
Blackmore admitted to joining a pupil’s Instagram group chat and inviting them to meet her dog at Yeovil Recreational Centre. The report highlighted that these actions went against the staff code of conduct, with the panel concluding they amounted to serious misconduct. She also disclosed that she had participated in a hen night where she “got really drunk and was vaping and smoking.”
“If it hadn’t been for those students and their support after my dog died, I don’t think I would have come back to work properly,” Blackmore stated.
A parent defended her, noting that they had never felt anything untoward was happening and praised Blackmore as “a really good teacher.” The panel ruled her conduct fell “significantly short of the standards expected,” leading to the indefinite ban. The decision allows for a review after two years.
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