Lincoln headteacher banned indefinitely from teaching

Jeremy Tucker left as headteacher of the Acorn School in Lincoln in 2019

A headteacher who came to school "smelling of alcohol" and made inappropriate comments to staff and pupils has been banned from teaching.

Jeremy Tucker, 64, was suspended from the Acorn School in Lincoln in 2018 after concerns were raised he "was under the influence of alcohol".

A hearing by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) found Mr Tucker guilty of "unacceptable professional conduct" and issued an indefinite prohibition order.

He left his role at the school in 2019.

One witness told the TRA hearing that a colleague had told her that Mr Tucker "stunk of booze".

She added that he was "very unsteady on his feet and saying things that did not make sense".

The witness said that later she discovered empty vodka bottles in Mr Tucker's golf bag.

He had bottles of aftershave and chewing gum in his office to disguise the smell of alcohol, she said, adding that before Ofsted inspections Mr Tucker "would eat raw bulbs of garlic".

Another witness claimed Mr Tucker had used inappropriate language with pupils, "calling them names and belittling them, such as calling pupils idiots, especially during assemblies".

He had left some students in classrooms "without adequate supervision" and had placed pupils at risk of harm or injury by flipping over tables, according to the panel's report.

'Unprofessional behaviour'

Members of the hearing panel said they were of the view that "Mr Tucker was trying to uphold the standards within the school and make improvements".

However, they said he had "gone about this in the wrong way and should have considered his actions and comments more carefully".

The report added: "The findings of misconduct are particularly serious as they include findings of engaging in unprofessional behaviour by, on one or more occasions, attending the school while you were under the influence of alcohol and/or smelt of alcohol and making one or more inappropriate comments towards and/or in the presence of pupils."

Evidence of Mr Tucker being under the influence of alcohol was based upon his "erratic behaviour", the TRA report said, adding that it "could have been for other reasons".

Issuing the indefinite prohibition order, the TRA panel found Mr Tucker's conduct "fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession".

The school has been contacted for comment.