Mr Mark Duffy

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 Mark Duffy

Location teacher worked: London, England

Date of professional conduct panel: 9 December 2025

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 Mark Duffy formerly employed in London, 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.

Mr Mark Duffy: Professional Conduct Panel Meeting outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education December 2025 2 Contents Introduction 3 Allegations 4 Summary of evidence 4 Documents 4 Statement of Agreed Facts 4 Decision and reasons 4 Findings of fact 5 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 9 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 11 3 Professional conduct panel decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State Teacher: Mr Mark Duffy TRA reference: 24581 Date of determination: 9 December 2025 Former employer: Morpeth School, London Introduction A professional conduct panel (“the panel”) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (“the TRA”) convened on 9 December 2025 by way of a virtual meeting, to consider the case of Mr Mark Duffy (“Mr Duffy”). The panel members were Miss Lucy Childs (teacher panellist – in the chair), Mr Nathan Cole (teacher panellist) and Mr Saudagar Singh (lay panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Ms Rachel Phillips of Blake Morgan LLP. In advance of the meeting, after taking into consideration the public interest and the interests of justice, the TRA agreed to a request from Mr Duffy that the allegation be considered without a hearing. Mr Duffy provided a signed statement of agreed facts and admitted unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. The panel considered the case at a meeting without the attendance of the presenting officer or Mr Duffy. The meeting took place in private. 4 Allegations The panel considered the allegation set out in the notice of meeting dated 9 December 2025. It was alleged that Mr Duffy was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, in that while employed as a teacher at Morpeth School (“the School”): 1. On or around 16 April 2024, he: a. consumed alcohol in a public place during his working hours. b. attended the School whilst under the influence of alcohol. Mr Duffy admitted the facts of the allegation and that his conduct amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and 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: Anonymised pupil list, list of key people and chronology – pages 4 to 6. Section 2: Notice of Referral, response and Notice of Meeting – pages 7 to 22. Section 3: Statement of Agreed Facts and presenting officer representations – pages 24 to 27. Section 4: Teaching Regulation Agency documents – pages 29 to 90 Section 5: Teacher documents – pages 91 to 114. The panel members confirmed that they had read all of the documents within the bundle. Statement of Agreed Facts The panel considered a statement of agreed facts which was signed by Mr Duffy on 24 June 2025. Decision and Reasons The panel announced its decision and reasons as follows: 5 The panel carefully considered the case before it and reached a decision. In advance of the meeting, the TRA agreed to a request from Mr Duffy for the allegation to be considered without a hearing. The panel had the ability to direct that the case be considered at a hearing if required in the interests of justice or in the public interest. The panel did not determine that such a direction was necessary or appropriate in this case. Mr Duffy was previously employed as a Science teacher at Morpeth School (“the School”). Mr Duffy commenced employment at the School on 30 October 2023. On 16 April 2024, Mr Duffy was working at the School. At approximately 1pm, Pupil F, the parent of Pupil F (“Person A”) and their partner (“Person E”) were in or near the local park and allegedly witnessed Mr Duffy hiding in the bushes of the park. Mr Duffy was also allegedly observed brushing his teeth and disposing of a plastic bag in a bin. Person A and Person E approached the bin, looked in the bag which Mr Duffy had disposed of and found there were four empty bottles of beer contained within the plastic bag. Person A, Person E and Pupil F followed Mr Duffy back to the School, and Person A immediately made a report to the School regarding Mr Duffy’s alleged conduct. Later that same day, Mr Duffy attended two meetings with Person C and Person D regarding the report made by Person A. It was noted by Person C that Mr Duffy smelled strongly of alcohol at the meeting. Mr Duffy confirmed he was in the park at lunchtime but denied consuming alcohol. On the evening of 16 April, Mr Duffy emailed Person C to admit that he had consumed alcohol in the park at lunchtime, before returning to the School. Mr Duffy tendered his resignation with immediate effect, which was accepted by Person C the following day on 17 April 2024. On 18 October 2024, Mr Duffy was referred to the TRA by the School Business Manager. Findings of fact The findings of fact are as follows: The panel found the following particulars of the allegation against you proved, for these reasons: 1. On or around 16 April 2024, you: a. consumed alcohol in a public place during your working hours. The panel was presented with a statement of agreed facts, signed by Mr Duffy on 24 June 2025, in which Mr Duffy admitted particular 1a. Mr Duffy accepted he had 6 consumed alcohol in the local park near the School during his lunch break on 16 April 2024. The panel also had sight of the report made by Person A and Person E dated 16 April 2024 in which they confirm that whilst with Pupil F in the local park near the School, a man was seen emerging from the park bushes, brushing his teeth and disposing of a plastic [REDACTED] bag in the bin. The report states that Pupil F immediately identified the man as Mr Duffy and that Person E went to look in the bin and discovered four empty bottles of beer contained within the [REDACTED] bag. The panel went on to consider two photographs obtained as part of the TRA’s investigation; one of beer bottles contained within a plastic [REDACTED] carrier bag, and the other of a man, who Pupil F identified as Mr Duffy, leaving the park. On considering these photographs, the panel also noted the telephone attendance note between the Presenting Officer at Capsticks (the TRA’s external legal provider) and Person A dated 4 June 2025. During this telephone conversation, Person A confirmed it was Person E who had taken these photographs after they had witnessed Mr Duffy coming out of the bushes, brushing his teeth and disposing of a plastic carrier bag in a bin. The panel considered this version of events to be consistent with the original report made to the School by Person A and Person E some 14 months prior to the telephone call on 4 June 2025. The panel also considered Mr Duffy’s statement to the TRA dated 25 October 2024 and the admissions made therein. The panel noted there was insufficient evidence within the papers before it to conclude that the individuals who had reported Mr Duffy to the School had directly witnessed him consuming alcohol. However, based on Mr Duffy’s admission to having consumed alcohol during the School lunch break and the consistent accounts of Person A, the panel found that, on the balance of probabilities, he was more likely than not to have consumed alcohol during working hours. Accordingly, the panel found particular 1a proved. b. attended the School whilst under the influence of alcohol. The panel noted that Mr Duffy also admitted particular 1b in the signed statement of agreed facts. Mr Duffy accepted he returned to the School on 16 April 2024 after having consumed alcohol during his lunch break. The panel considered the report made by Person A and Person E confirming they followed Mr Duffy back to the School after finding beer bottles in the plastic bag which Mr Duffy had disposed of in the park bin. 7 The panel also had sight of the meeting notes from the local investigation meetings between the School and Mr Duffy dated 16 April 2024. The panel noted that the meetings took place after the report was made concerning Mr Duffy’s conduct that day. It was noted by one of the School staff members present during the first meeting that they could ‘clearly and strongly’ smell alcohol on Mr Duffy. The panel further noted that whilst Mr Duffy did not make any admissions during these meetings, he emailed Person C, a staff member at the School, during the evening of 16 April 2024 accepting the allegations made by Person A and Person E. The panel was satisfied that Mr Duffy returned to the School after he had consumed alcohol. In light of this and Mr Duffy’s admission, the panel found particular 1b proved. Findings as to unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute Having found the allegation proved, the panel went on to consider whether the facts of the proved allegation amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. Whilst this was admitted by Mr Duffy and that admission was taken into account, the panel made its own, independent determination. In doing so, the panel had regard to the document Teacher Misconduct: The Prohibition of Teachers, which is referred to as “the Advice”. The panel first considered whether the conduct of Mr Duffy, in relation to the facts found proved, involved breaches of the Teachers’ Standards. The panel considered that, by reference to Part 2, Mr Duffy was in breach of the following standards:  Teachers uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school  Teachers must have proper and professional regard for the ethos, policies and practices of the school in which they teach, and maintain high standards