Mr Jack Wells

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

Teacher's name: Mr Jack Wells

Location teacher worked: Lancashire, North West England

Date of professional conduct panel: 14 to 17 April 2026

Outcome type: No order made

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 Mr Jack Wells formerly employed in Lancashire, North West England

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.

OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE Mr Jack Wells: Professional conduct panel hearing outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education April 2026 2 OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE Contents Introduction 3 Allegations 4 Summary of evidence 4 Documents 4 Witnesses 5 Decision and reasons 5 Findings of fact 5 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 15 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 18 3 OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE Professional conduct panel hearing decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State. Teacher: Mr Jack Wells TRA reference: 23058 Date of determination: 17 April 2026 Former employer: Little Digmoor Primary School, Skelmersdale Introduction A professional conduct panel (“the panel”) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (“the TRA”) convened on 14 to 17 April 2026 by way of a virtual hearing, to consider the case of Mr Jack Wells. The panel members were Mrs Monique Clark (teacher panellist – in the chair), Mr Jack Davies (lay panellist) and Mr David Loveless (teacher panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Mr Nicholas West of Birketts LLP solicitors. The presenting officer for the TRA was Ms Shekyena Marcelle-Brown of counsel, instructed by Kingsley Napley LLP solicitors. Mr Wells was not present and was not represented. The hearing took place in public and was recorded. 4 OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE Allegations The panel considered the allegations set out in the Notice of Hearing dated 23 January 2026. It was alleged that Mr Wells was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, in that whilst working as a Year 4 Teacher at Little Digmoor Primary School (‘the School’): 1. On or around 20 September 2023, he behaved in a threatening and/or intimidating and/or inappropriate manner, in that he: a) Entered a Year 1 classroom carrying a knife; b) Picked up Pupil A and/or made stabbing movements towards the pupil’s head and/or shoulders; and/or c) Left a sharp knife unattended in the sink of his Year 4 classroom. 2. On or around 19 September 2023, on one or more occasions, he threw Pupil A from his arms, up into the air. Mr Wells made no formal admission in respect of allegations 1(a), 1(b), 1(c), and 2. Further, he made no admission as to whether his conduct amounted to unacceptable professional conduct or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. Summary of evidence Documents In advance of the hearing, the panel received a bundle of documents which included: Section 1: Chronology, anonymised pupil list and list of key people – pages 4 to 6 Section 2: Notice of Hearing – pages 7 to 10 Section 3: TRA witness statements – pages 11 to 27 Section 4: TRA documents – pages 28 to 131 In addition, the panel agreed to accept the following: • 11-page statement from Mr Wells – pages 132 to 142 The panel members confirmed that they had read all of the documents within the bundle, in advance of the hearing and the additional document that the panel decided to admit. 5 OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE In the consideration of this case, the panel had regard to the document Teacher misconduct: Disciplinary procedures for the teaching profession May 2020, (the “Procedures”). Witnesses The panel heard oral evidence from the following witnesses called by the presenting officer: Witness A – [REDACTED] Witness B – [REDACTED] Witness C – [REDACTED] Witness D – [REDACTED] Decision and reasons The panel announced its decision and reasons as follows: The panel carefully considered the case before it and reached a decision. On 1 January 2022, Mr Jack Wells commenced employment as a Year 4 teacher at the School. On 19 September 2023, whilst outside in the playground, Mr Wells allegedly picked up Pupil A and threw them up into the air from his arms on one or more occasions. On 20 September 2023, Mr Wells allegedly entered a Year 1 classroom carrying a knife. While holding the knife, he picked up Pupil A and allegedly made stabbing movements towards their head and shoulders. Later that day, Mr Wells allegedly left a sharp knife unattended in the sink of his Year 4 classroom, where it remained accessible by pupils. On 23 January 2024, Lancashire County Council made a referral to the TRA. Findings of fact The findings of fact are as follows: The panel found the following particulars of the allegations against you proved, for these reasons: 1. On or around 20 September 2023, you behaved in a threatening and/or intimidating and/or inappropriate manner, in that you: 6 OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE a) Entered a Year 1 classroom carrying a knife The panel considered the handwritten statement of Mr Wells, dated 20 September 2023. In that statement, Mr Wells described that on Wednesday 20 September 2023, between approximately 10:35am and 10:40am, he went to the School’s kitchen to collect a utensil to cut a birthday cake that had been brought into School by a child in his class. He explained that he picked up a palette knife, which he described as a flexible utensil with no serrated edges. Mr Wells confirmed in his handwritten statement that after he left the kitchen he entered the Year 1 classroom to walk through to the Year 2 classroom. The panel considered a further written statement of Mr Wells dated 31 October 2023. Mr Wells’ version of events remained consistent with his handwritten statement that he went to the School’s kitchen to collect a palette knife to cut a cake and on his way back to class he walked halfway through the Year 1 classroom to get to the Year 2 classroom. Mr Wells confirmed in this statement that he was carrying a knife whilst in the Year 1 classroom stating, “I realised I had the palette knife in my left hand”. The panel considered the written statement from Mr Wells which it had allowed to be admitted late. Mr Wells’ statement confirmed, “There is no dispute that I entered the Year 1 classroom with some sort of knife”. Although Mr Wells’ evidence was hearsay as he did not attend the hearing, the panel considered it was plainly relevant to the allegations and appropriate weight could be given as his version of events remained consistent over a number of different documentary evidence sources. The panel considered the oral evidence and written statement of Witness A, dated 30 October 2024. Witness A explained that on 20 September 2023 she was teaching her Year 1 class, and that during breaktime from 10:15am to 10:30am the class watched a film as it was raining outside. She stated that at around 10:20am, Mr Wells entered her classroom carrying a knife. Witness A submitted that the knife “appeared to be a bread knife as it had a serrated edge, a handle, and was around 30cm in length”. She stated that Mr Wells was holding the knife in his hand when he walked into the room, but his arm was close to his body, so the knife was down by his side. Witness A further explained that later that day Pupil A told another teacher, Witness C, that Mr Wells had come into the classroom with a knife. The panel noted that Witness A’s evidence was supported by more contemporaneous documentary evidence in the form of a written statement. During questioning, Witness A was asked when this statement was made and she confirmed it was written at around 4.15pm on 20 September 2023 after she had reported the incident to Individual E, Deputy Headteacher. The panel considered Witness A’s evidence regarding this allegation remained consistent. The panel was not presented with any evidence to suggest that Mr Wells behaved in a threatening or intimidating manner. The panel noted Witness A’s written evidence stated, “I wasn’t too surprised that he had a knife with him” as she explained that teachers on 7 OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE occasion use knives to cut birthday cakes. Witness A stated in her oral evidence that there was not a threat as Mr Wells “was a trusted person in the School”. There was no evidence that any of the pupils felt threatened or intimidated and Witness A reported Pupil A enjoyed their interaction with Mr Wells and was “laughing, smiling and screaming in an excited manner”. Witness A’s written statement confirmed, “none of the other children particularly noticed or reacted to Jack Wells’ presence as they were engrossed in a film they were watching”. The panel considered there was evidence that Mr Wells’ behaviour was inappropriate. Witness A stated in her written statement, “Jack Well’s behaviour had alarmed me. It was not only that he had a knife around the children, and was being silly with it, but also the fact that he was very dismissive of my concerns…I don’t think Jack Wells is a danger to children, he just behaved irresponsibly in the moment”. The panel considered that there was sufficient evidence to find that Mr Wells did enter the Year 1 classroom with a knife on 20 September 2023 and that this behaviour was inappropriate. The panel therefore found allegation 1(a) proven. b) Picked up Pupil A and/or made stabbing movements towards the pupil’s head and/or shoulders; and/or The panel considered the contemporaneous handwritten statement of Mr Wells. Mr Wells described that on Wednesday 20 September 2023, he remembered he needed to speak with Individual E regarding a Year 2 pupil and that he entered the Year 1 classroom to walk through towards the Year 2 classroom. He described stopping near the sink in the Year 1 classroom when Pupil A ran from the carpet area towards him and jumped up at him, and that he picked them up to stop them hitting him. He explained that he was holding the palette knife in one hand at that time and that he made a joke to Pupil A whilst still holding them,