Ex-head who referenced child sex offence suspect banned from teaching

Carol Barker joined Woodlands Academy in 1992

A former head teacher who referenced a member of staff arrested for a child sex offence has received an indefinite ban from teaching.

An independent panel concluded Carol Barker made "a conscious attempt" to withhold the information.

The 59-year-old was appointed head teacher of Woodlands Academy in Aspley, Nottingham, in 2010.

Mrs Barker said her "trust of people's innate goodness" should not have superseded her professional duty.

A report detailing the hearing said the former head teacher faced 14 allegations, 13 of which were proven.

The panel heard that in May 2011 Mrs Barker gave a reference to Nottingham City Council for a male designated as Person A, who was applying for a teaching assistant role at the school.

Staff concerns

Person A had previously been arrested over an allegation of sexual assault pertaining to a child in 2009.

He was known to Mrs Baker, who said in the reference that he had volunteered at the school since about 2006. However, he had held a paid role during that time, the report said.

Person A was subsequently employed in the role. In March 2016, another member of staff raised concerns that Person A had placed his hand inside a pupil's clothing.

The panel heard that Mrs Barker did not inform the pupil's parents of this, who found out through the police in 2019, and did not escalate the concerns until "several" internal school meetings had been held.

In June 2018, Person A was arrested for an allegation of a sexual nature against a child, the report said.

The panel heard that in September of that year, Mrs Barker instructed that Person A receive a pay rise.

The police informed Mrs Barker in November that they were investigating concerns in relation to the 2009 incident and the more recent allegation.

They confirmed in March 2019 that Person A was being investigated for sexual assault by touching of a boy under the age of 13 and sexual assault by digital penetration of a boy under the age of 13.

Person A was charged in September 2019 after leaving the school earlier that year.

The panel concluded this was "a very serious type of dishonesty" in the context of Mrs Barker's status in the teaching profession.

'Significantly short' of standards

In a witness statement, Mrs Barker said: "My trust of people's innate goodness and my own desire to believe that people are trustworthy should never have superseded my professional duty to protect children and my school population."

The statement expressed she was "profoundly regretful and deeply ashamed" that pupils and staff were put at risk.

Mrs Barker was also found to have failed to carry out "adequate pre-appointment checks" on another employee at the school in August 2018.

The panel found that the proven allegations and facts amounted to "unacceptable professional conduct" which may bring the profession into disrepute.

It added that Mrs Barker's conduct "fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession".

Mrs Barker cannot appeal her teaching ban until 11 March 2028, four years from the order being made.