Unknown Teacher

The Secretary of State does not make these decisions himself. They are made by a senior official on the recommendation of an independent panel.

Teacher reference number:

3564220

Teacher's date of birth:

21 May 1980

Location teacher worked:

Portsmouth, South East England

Date of professional conduct panel:

6 April 2018

Outcome type:

Prohibition order

Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with The Teacher's’ Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012, a professional conduct panel was convened to consider the case of Dr Maria Roopa, formerly employed in Portsmouth, South East England.

The proceedings were held at 53 to 55 Butts Road, Earlsdon Park, Coventry CV1 3BH at 9.30am on 6 April 2018.

Teacher misconduct

Ground Floor, South

Cheylesmore House

5 Quinton RoadCoventryCV1 2WT

Email TRA.Casework@education.gov.uk

Telephone 020 7593 5393

Information about regulating the teaching profession and the process for dealing with serious teacher misconduct.

Dr Maria Roopa (aka Thomas): Professional conduct panel outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education April 2018 2 Contents A. Introduction 3 B. Allegations 4 C. Preliminary applications 4 D. Summary of evidence 4 Documents 4 Witnesses 5 E. Decision and reasons 5 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 11 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 13 3 Professional conduct panel decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State Teacher: Dr Maria Roopa (aka Thomas) Teacher ref number: 3564220 Teacher date of birth: 21 May 1980 NCTL case reference: 16496 Date of determination: 6 April 2018 Former employer: Miltoncross Academy, Portsmouth A. Introduction A professional conduct panel (“the panel”) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (“the Agency”) convened on 5 – 6 April 2018 at 53 – 55 Butts Road, Earlsdon Park, Coventry CV1 3BH to consider the case of Dr Maria Roopa (aka Thomas). The panel members were Dr Geoffrey Penzer (lay panellist – in the chair), Mr Peter Cooper (teacher panellist) and Dr Melvyn Kershaw (former teacher panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Mr Graham Miles of Blake Morgan LLP solicitors. The presenting officer for the Agency was Ms Samantha Paxman of Browne Jacobson LLP solicitors. Dr Roopa did not attend the hearing in person, but participated by video link from India. Dr Roopa was represented by Mr Simon Pettet of NASUWT, who attended the hearing in person. The hearing took place in public and was recorded. 4 B. Allegations The panel considered the allegations set out in the Notice of Proceedings dated 5 February 2018. It was alleged that Dr Maria Roopa (aka Thomas) was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, in that prior to and during her appointment to a teaching post at Miltoncross Academy during the 2016/17 academic year, she: 1. failed to disclose that she had not completed her NQT Induction; 2. demonstrated a lack of professional integrity and/or were dishonest in that she: a. deliberately sought to conceal that she had not attained NQT Induction Status; b. suggested on one or more occasions that she had completed her NQT induction period at another school/college, when she knew or ought to know, that was untrue; c. provided a reference from Cowes Enterprise College which she amended and/or knew was amended, without the knowledge and/or consent of Cowes Enterprise College. Dr Roopa admitted the facts alleged in allegation 1, but did not admit the facts alleged in allegation 2(a), 2(b) or 2(c). Dr Roopa did not admit unacceptable professional conduct or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. C. Preliminary applications Application to admit additional document Ms Paxman made an application to admit the statement of Witness C as an additional document. M s Paxman explained that the statement had been served o n Dr Roopa in accordance with Rule 4.20, but due to an oversight had been omitted from the bundle. Mr Pettet confirmed that Dr Roopa had received a copy of the statement and he did not object to the statement being admitted. The panel agreed to admit the statement of Witness C, which was added to section 3 of the bundle as pages 85A and 85B. D. Summary of evidence Documents In advance of the hearing, the panel received a bundle of documents which included: 5 Section 1: Chronology – pages 2 to 3 Section 2: Notice of Proceedings and Response – pages 4 to 19 Section 3: TRA witness statements – pages 20 to 102 Section 4: TRA documents – pages 103 to 196 Section 5: Teacher documents – pages 197 to 204 In addition, the panel agreed to accept the statement of Witness C as pages 85A and 85B. The panel members confirmed that they had read all of the documents in advance of the hearing. Witnesses The panel heard oral evidence from the following witnesses called by the presenting officer:  Witness A, Former Principal of Cowes Enterprise College  Witness B, HR Manager of Miltoncross Academy Dr Maria Roopa also gave evidence on her own behalf. E. Decision and reasons The panel announced its decision and reasons as follows: The panel has carefully considered the case and reached a decision. The panel confirms that it has read all the documents provided in the bundle in advance of the hearing. Dr Maria Roopa attained Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) on 13 March 2014 through an assessment only route at Northumbria University, whilst teaching as an unqualified teacher at St Joseph's College, Croydon. Between 14 March 2014 and J une 2014, Dr Roopa continued her employment at St Joseph's College after attaining QTS, but due to illness and personal circumstances, she resigned from her post in July 2014 and left the country to go to India. In September 2015, Dr Roopa returned to the UK to take up a post at Denefield School in Reading, where she worked until February 2016. Dr Roopa t hen moved to Cowes Enterprise College, Isle of Wight. After Dr Roopa had taken up this post, Cowes Enterprise College asked Dr Roopa to provide evidence that she had completed her period of induction. Enquiries were also made of St Jos eph's College and it was established that Dr Roopa had not completed her induction there. Dr Roopa resigned from 6 the Cowes Enterprise College in October 2016 on the basis that she leave s with one month's notice and an agreed reference. An agreed reference was then provided to Dr Roopa and her union. On 28 October 2016, Dr Roopa completed an application with Prospero Teaching Agency in which she stated that she had completed her NQT Induction and she was referred by the agency to Miltoncross Academy ('the Academy'). Following an interview in November 2016, the Ac ademy decided to employ her for the role of Mathematics Teacher. Her employment at the Academy began on 1 January 2017. In April 2017, the HR Manager at the Academy noted, from accessing the NCTL's we bsite, that the induction status of Dr Roopa was recorded as 'required to complete'. This was drawn to the attention of Dr Roopa by the HR Manager, who asked Dr Roopa to provide her with the name of the school at which she had completed her induction so that the HR Manager could contact the school and clarify the matter. At that stage, Dr Roopa did not provide the name of the school, but stated that she would contact the school herself. In a subsequent conversation with the HR Manager, Roopa stated that the school at which she had completed her induc tion was St Joseph's College. The HR Manager then made contact with St Joseph's College and was informed that Dr Roopa had not completed her induction there. Dr Roopa was suspended by the Academy on 11 May 2017, pending a disciplinary investigation. Dr Roopa resigned before a disciplinary hearing took place. In addition to the issue concerning completion of her period of induction, it is alleged that Dr Roopa provided a reference to Connaught Resourcing (a teaching agency ), which purported to have been written and signed by the Principal of Cowes Enterprise College. Findings of fact The panel's findings of fact are as follows: It was alleged that you are guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, in that prior to and during your appointment to a teaching post at Miltoncross Academy during the 2016/17 academic year, you: 1. failed to disclose that you had not completed your NQT Induction; Dr Roopa admits this allegation. Dr Roopa now accepts that she had not completed her NQT Induction, although she asserts that she previously believed that she had done so. The panel has been provided with a stat ement from Individual D, the Head of Subject (Education and Lifelong Learning) in the faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Northumbria University. This statement confirms that Dr Roopa applied for the assessment only route at Northumbria University in September 2013 and that she commenced the programme in January 2014. Following her assessment, Dr Roopa was recommended for QTS in March 2014. The panel has also been provided with a copy of her QTS certificate issued by the Department for Education dated 13 March 2014 . This confirmed that Dr Roopa had 7 attained qualified teacher status and that she had met 'the requirements for employment in maintained schools and non -maintained special schools in England, provided that a statutory induction period (usually three school terms) is completed satisfactorily'. The statement from Individual D stated that all applicants to Northumbria University were made aware that they were required to complete an induction programme, regardless of what route was taken by them. A ll students were required to demonstrate the same level of competencies and have targets set for their induction year. The panel is satisfied that Dr Roopa had not completed her period of induction and that, as Dr Roopa herself admits, she failed to disclose that she had not done so. The panel finds allegation 1 proven. 2. demonstrated a lack of professional integrity and/or were dishonest in that she: a. deliberately sought to conceal that she had not attained NQT Induction Status; Dr Roopa acknowledges that she completed the application form for Prospero Teaching Agency stating that she had completed her NQT Induction when she had not done so. However, Dr Roopa states that she had no intention to deceive as she genuinely believed that she had completed her induction period at St Joseph's College in 2014, before travelling to India. The panel has taken into consideration the fact that the first language of Dr Roopa is not English. However, the panel also noted that Dr Roopa had been working and studying i n the UK and in USA for a number of years prio