Teacher banned for sending emails with kisses to pupil and encouraging booze drinking
She also emailed personal pictures.
A female teacher who sent emails with ‘x’ kisses to a pupil and encouraged them to drink alcohol has been banned from the profession indefinitely.
Laura Martland, a science teacher at Penketh High School in Warrington, Cheshire, was sacked for misconduct in September 2021.
The 39-year-old had worked there for almost four years before engaging in the unprofessional relationship with the student.
A Teacher Regulation Agency panel heard she had exchanged emails with a pupil – referred to as Pupil A for legal reasons – which were sent out of school hours, had personal photographs attached and contained an ‘x’ indicating kisses.
The student told the panel they started communicating about work, but as time went on, they started discussing personal things.
Pupil A stated that they would email each other every day, and ‘there wasn’t really ever a break in the emails’.
As time went on, they recognised the relationship had become ‘unprofessional.’
Miss Martland was found to have sent a ‘bundle’ of emails on May 28, 2021, which appeared to encourage the student to consume alcohol.
Further emails saw the teacher provide advice about relationships, with one sent as late as 00.29am.
Another message sent at 10.29pm on May 7, 2021, included the words: ‘But not caring is a reasonable response! Xxxx.’
The emails finally came to light when Miss Martland contacted someone referred to in the report as Witness A on June 10, 2021, with concerns about Pupil A.
Witness A told the panel that she asked her colleague to provide a copy of the emails between the two.
She stated that Miss Martland had copied and pasted emails into a document, but that it ‘seemed that there were more to the emails’.
The panel’s report states: ‘It was noted that the email exchanges had taken place over a number of months, initially they were school related, but developed to a personal nature over time.
‘Between March to June 2021, the emails covered a number of topics including personal matters shared by both Miss Martland and Pupil A.
‘Of concern, Pupil A had made disclosures to Miss Martland which included underage drinking.’
Witness A told the panel that during the Covid-19 lockdown it was more common for pupils to communicate with teachers via email outside of school, but stressed there was clear guidance implemented by the school for appropriate communication.
The panel concluded that she was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.
It was agreed to hand Miss Martland a prohibition order, banning her from teaching in any school, sixth form, college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.
The ban is indefinite but can be reviewed after five years.
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