Award-winning Somerset teacher banned for bullying staff

Mahzia "Pepe" Hart has been banned from teaching indefinitely

An award-winning head teacher has been banned from the profession indefinitely for bullying staff.

Mahzia "Pepe" Hart was head of Trinity Church of England primary school in Radstock, Somerset, from 2005 to 2015.

She resigned following allegations she mistreated teachers, but claimed she was the victim of a "vile" social media campaign.

She has now been banned from the profession after the teaching watchdog found the allegations proven.

In 2008, Mrs Hart received the Pride of Britain teacher of the year award and during her tenure the school achieved the Princess Diana anti-bullying award.

But the Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA) found on Monday she had bullied pregnant teachers and intimidated and mocked members of staff.

The TRA further found Mrs Hart had told staff not to take sick days or be friends with one another.

Bullying claims

One colleague reported the former head teacher told her she could not attend antenatal checks during working hours.

She added that she was told to conceal her bump, not tell people she was pregnant and ignore her morning sickness.

The woman, known only as Colleague C, said Mrs Hart told her: "All this being tired will not wash with me, it needs to change, just because you're pregnant."

On another occasion, Colleague C reported Mrs Hart said: "I keep wondering if you got pregnant because you think teaching is too difficult."

'Serious misconduct'

The TRA heard Mrs Hart openly made disparaging comments about teachers who were sick, and reportedly said: "We do not have sickness at our school. Those who go sick don't come back.

"They are dud teachers. They don't care about the children."

She reportedly mocked a staff member's weight and grilled staff who socialised together, telling them she did not want "backstabbing".

The TRA panel hearing the case said: "The conduct of Mrs Hart amounted to misconduct of a serious nature which fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession."

But allegations that Mrs Hart had mocked pupils were not found to be proven and several parents with children at the school defended her against the claims.

'Above and beyond'

One said their son had "thrived" at Trinity, adding Mrs Hart went "above and beyond".

The parent added the misconduct allegations against her were "madness".

"We should be putting Mrs Hart back in the system, she made children's lives unbelievable," they said.

Another said Mrs Hart "changed my kids' lives", while a third said: "Children have lost out. So many children will not get the benefit of Mrs Hart."

The TRA misconduct panel noted Mrs Hart's commitment to teaching, and therefore gave her the opportunity to apply for the prohibition order to be overturned after two years.

But Mrs Hart said in a statement that she would appeal for the whole prohibition order to be overturned in court.

She said: "Many of the allegations dated back 15 years. They have no bearing on the education and support I gave to pupils and families."

She added: "Throughout my 25 years in education, I consistently had the very best intentions for children, parents, and staff alike.

"I have dedicated myself to children. I believed education was about serving communities and bettering the lives of all pupils.

"I worked hard to ensure that every child in my care, particularly those from deprived backgrounds, got the best from school and were treated with fairness.

"This was undisputed, even by the TRA and their own witnesses."

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