Former Newport head Samantha Yeoman 'not dishonest'

Samantha Yeoman is not attending the hearing

A former Newport head teacher accused of letting staff manipulate national tests is the victim of people who feel aggrieved, a hearing was told.

Samantha Yeoman, who denies unacceptable professional conduct, claims she did not act dishonestly, a General Teaching Council for Wales (GTCW) panel heard on Wednesday.

She quit as head teacher at Rogerstone Primary School in 2014.

The GTCW panel has retired to consider its verdict.

Mrs Yeoman has denied unacceptable professional conduct by allowing staff to manipulate the 2013 National Reading and Numeracy Test results to enable pupils to get better grades.

'Not disadvantaged'

Her statement said she accepts that staff were allowed to highlight incorrect answers and pupils were allowed to change them but said this was "against her instructions and... out of her control".

In his closing argument, Mrs Yeoman's representative Gwylim Roberts-Harry said Mrs Yeoman's actions "don't amount to dishonesty" and the case was "based on witnesses who feel aggrieved by the way Samantha Yeoman had treated them in the past".

He told the panel that the tasks concerning the administration of the tests were delegated to the then deputy head teacher Wayne Millard.

Her statement said teachers were allowed to see the test papers "in order to ensure children had access and were not disadvantaged".