Drink-drive crash headteacher can continue to teach

Lorraine Bradley outside a court hearing over the incident (NB Press Ltd)

A headteacher who crashed while three times over the drink-drive limit can carry on teaching, a misconduct panel ruled.

Lorraine Bradley had been drinking prosecco the night before and crashed on her journey to Rodillian Academy in Wakefield the following morning.

The 57-year-old resigned from her job after the collision in 2023 and was later disqualified from driving for two years after admitting drink-driving.

The Teaching Regulation Agency found there was a "strong public interest consideration" for allowing her to stay in the profession as "no doubt had been cast upon her abilities as an educator".

Lorraine Bradley became headteacher at Wakefield's Rodillian Academy in 2014

Ms Bradley, who was appointed principal in 2014, had been to a friend's house to celebrate the end of half term, the hearing was told.

She later returned home, began preparing for her holiday and continued to drink wine, the panel heard.

The hearing was told she left for school the next morning on 20 October and "did not feel under the influence of alcohol and did not give it a second thought".

Had she not have been involved in a collision or stopped by police, she would have "spent the day making decisions under a significant degree of inebriation", the panel said.

'Unblemished record'

Although Ms Bradley did not consume alcohol at school, the panel noted it could have "impacted the safety of the pupils as she was responsible for their wellbeing".

Mitigating factors included a 30-year "unblemished record" in teaching, the report said, with character references showcasing "her commitment and ability as an educator".

Three years after she became headteacher the school achieved a score "placing it amongst the highest-achieving comprehensive schools in the country", the panel said.

A banning order would not be proportionate, they concluded, with Ms Bradley showing a "significant amount of remorse" for her actions.

A spokesperson for the academy's trust said: "While she resigned from the trust in November 2023, we respect the independent decision regarding her eligibility to continue teaching.

"The well-being and education of our students remain our highest priority and we continue to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity across all our schools."

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