Teacher banned for claiming extra cash for school trips

David Malengela had responsibility for organising overseas trips at St Peter's School in Huntingdon

A languages teacher found to have claimed extra cash from parents for school trips has been banned from the classroom.

David Malengela, 41, had responsibility for organising overseas trips at St Peter's School in Huntingdon.

The disciplinary hearing was told he asked parents for additional "behaviour deposits" and charged pupils 20 euros each just to board the coach.

A misconduct panel said his actions were "calculated and deliberate".

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The Teaching Regulation Agency's professional conduct panel was told Mr Malengela planned three residential trips for the 2017 summer term.

Between February and June 2017, the school's finance team made repeated requests for pupil numbers and money, without success.

The three-member panel was told Mr Malengela wrote to parents to say the £390 cost of a trip to Paris had gone up, citing an "additional £20 refundable behaviour deposit for the Hotel Bon-Sejour".

The tour operator was unaware of the deposit, the hearing learned, and a price increase had not been agreed by the school.

Parents were also asked for an additional payment of 20 euros "to be paid to him personally as the children boarded the coach on departure".

'Serious irregularities'

At a briefing session, he also asked families for a security deposit of 25 euros and money to attend a science museum, the panel found.

In its concluding report, the panel said a "subsequent disciplinary investigation by the school alleged serious irregularities in the administration of the trips".

Mr Malengela resigned in May 2017. The total amount of money he received was not revealed.

Mr Malengela taught French at St Peter's School in Huntingdon

The panel concluded the teacher's conduct "fell short of the expected standards of the profession" and "the offence of fraud is relevant".

He was banned from teaching in any school, sixth form college or children's home in England indefinitely.

Mr Malengela has 28 days to appeal.