Mrs Mahzia ‘Pepe’ Hart

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: Mrs Mahzia ‘Pepe’ Hart

Teacher reference number: 9043424

Teacher's date of birth: 19 March 1969

Location teacher worked: Somerset, south west England

Date of professional conduct panel: 6 to 9, 12 to 16, 20 to 23 and 26 to 30 September 2022 and 3 to 7 and 10 to 11 October 2022 and 10 and 11 November 2022

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 Mrs Mahzia ‘Pepe’ Hart, formerly employed in somerset, south 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.

Mrs Mahzia 'Pepe' Hart: Professional conduct panel outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education November 2022 2 Contents Introduction 3 Allegations 4 Preliminary applications 8 Summary of evidence 16 Documents 16 Witnesses 18 Decision and reasons 19 Findings of fact 28 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 65 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 70 3 Professional conduct panel decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State Teacher: Mrs Mahzia 'Pepe' Hart Teacher ref number: 9043424 Teacher date of birth: 19 March 1969 TRA reference: 16201 Date of determination: 11 November 2022 Former employer: Academy of Trinity C of E VC Primary School, Radstock, near Bath. Introduction A professional conduct panel (“the panel”) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (“the TRA”) convened on 6 to 9, 12 to 16, 20 to 23 and 26 to 30 September 2022 and 3 to 7 and 10 to 11 October 2022 and 10 and 11 November 2022 at Cheylesmore House, 5 Quinton Road, Coventry, CV1 2WT, to consider the case of Mrs Mahzia 'Pepe' Hart. The panel also convened on a virtual basis on 2 November 2022. The panel members were Mr Paul Hawkins (Lay panellist – in the chair), Mrs Aruna Sharma (teacher panellist) and Miss Louisa Munton (teacher panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Mr Graham Miles of Blake Morgan LLP. The presenting officer for the TRA was Mr Mark Millin of Kingsley Napley LLP solicitors. On 6 September 2022 Mrs Hart was not present but was represented by Mr Simon Smith of Meade King LLP, accompanied by Mr Marcus Lavell of Keystone Law. On subsequent dates, Mrs Hart was present and represented by Mr Simon Smith. The hearing was recorded and took place in public save for limited occasions when the hearing went into private session to consider information relating to the health or other sensitive personal circumstances of named individuals. 4 Allegations The panel considered the allegations set out in the Notice of Hearing dated 8 July 2022. It was alleged that Mrs Mahzia 'Pepe' Hart was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute in that whilst employed at Academy of Trinity C of E VC Primary School: 1. She bullied teachers who were pregnant in that, in particular, she: a. unreasonably refused Colleague C permission to attend ante- natal checks at 26 and/or 30 weeks; b. told Colleague C "to ignore her illness", namely morning sickness, and/or "to get on with it" or words to that effect; c. told Colleague C "to stop flaunting her bump to parents" or words to that effect; d. told Colleague C "to conceal her bump" or words to that effect; e. told the said Colleague C not to tell other members of staff that she was pregnant or words to that effect; f. on or around 25 January 2013 on being told that Colleague C had been sick said to her, "All this being tired will not wash with me, it needs to change, just because you are pregnant" or words to that effect and/or that her "woe is me attitude had to change" or words to that effect; g. on or around 7 February 2013 said to Colleague C , "I keep wondering if you got pregnant because you think teaching is too difficult" or words to that effect; h. on or around 13 March 2013 said to Colleague C “For God’s sake Colleague C you are flaunting your bump. No other professional would have a problem hiding their bump" or words to that effect; i. unreasonably asked Colleague D to cancel and/or change appointments with her midwife; j. told Colleague D that pregnancy was ‘not an excuse’; k. in or around October 2014 on being told that Colleague E was pregnant accused her of using the school to get NQT status in her first year and maternity pay in her second or words to that effect; l. told Colleague E that she was letting the school and/or the children down because she was pregnant or words to that effect; m. told Colleague E that she had ruined her career by having a baby or words to that effect; n. told Colleague E that she had to work through any morning sickness or words to that effect; o. unreasonably required Colleague E to write end of term reports when she was on maternity leave; p. unreasonably required Colleague F to come in for an Ofsted inspection when she was on maternity leave. 5 2. On learning that the following teachers were pregnant she did not ensure that risk assessments were carried out in respect of: a. Colleague C, until she was approximately 26 weeks pregnant; b. Colleague D; c. Colleague E. 3. She made inappropriate comments to and/or about staff including: a. on or around 11 November 2015 stating, “have you ever had to tell so much shit that they’re doing a great job?” or words to that effect; b. on more than one occasion referred to teaching staff as ‘trash’, ‘fat’, ‘thick’ and/or ‘weak’ or words to that effect; c. telling Colleague C “you only need one family day, it’s taken in teaching that you shouldn’t expect to get a Sunday”, or words to that effect; d. telling Colleague C that you would not “kowtow”, or words to that effect; e. stating “get out of my office, I don’t want to speak to you, don’t speak to me with that attitude”, or words to that effect, to Colleague C; f. stating “you were a quivering wreck [Colleague G]. You really were not very strong in interview. If I was you I would really consider your future options if you want to carry on teaching”, or words to that effect, to Colleague G; g. telling Colleague H that she “obviously wasn’t depressed because she had no medication and that she needed to snap out of it”, or words to that effect; h. calling Colleague H a “mood-hoover”, or words to that effect; i. telling Colleague H to ignore and/or stare at an ex-member of staff, Colleague I j. telling Colleague J, in front of other teachers, that she had “straw like hair” and/or “didn’t have much hair left”, or words to that effect; k. telling Colleague J to “fuck off” and/or “bugger off”; l. on or around 29 March 2013, stating “you are dumb, I think you are dumb. You are a drip”, or words to that effect, to Colleague J; m. on or around 29 March 2013, stating “you expect [Teaching Staff 1] to wipe your arse”, or words to that effect, to Colleague J; n. saying to Colleague L ‘Don’t you think [Teaching Staff 2] is a lesbian, she is always touching everyone, she definitely is’ in relation to Teaching Staff 2; o. to a parent that Colleague B was on leave due to failed gastric band surgery; p. to Colleague H about Colleague B, including; i. “Detective [Colleague H] great work. U got find her …wot a faker” ii. “Can u c she had to go bk docs...aaaagh liar” iii. “I dnt think she realises or cares that this buggers reception rt up! Cow cow cow” iv. “Man wudnt u text if u were Colleague B to wish us luck etc...bitch!” v. “Tangled and spun…like her hair” q. to Colleague G that it was “Odd being allergic to bana nas ap par! O unusual4 a gorilla!” about Colleague B. r. calling Colleague M an ‘attention seeker’, or words to that effect; 6 s. referring to Colleague A as ‘useless and boring’, or words to that effect; t. stating that Colleague B’s husband may have married her to obtain a British passport; u. telling Colleague N that she should not work in the teaching profession; v. referring to Colleague N as ‘weak, pathetic and soulless’, or words to that effect. 4. On more than one occasion she mocked and/or mimicked parents, pupils and/or staff members, as exemplified by the following; a. In July 2014 you mocked a pupil in assembly; b. During a marking workshop with Colleague O you mimicked a pupil in Year 1; c. Did an impression of a pupil with SEN, including mimicking the child’s facial expressions; d. Mimicked the way that Colleague O spoke, during the first two weeks of her Newly Qualified year; e. In October 2015 you mimicked a dual heritage boy, and/or described him as ‘a mini Nelson Mandela’; f. Mocked a male teacher at Dundry in front of Colleague C; g. Mimicked members of staff and/or pupils in front of; i. Colleague I; ii. Colleague L; iii. Colleague P; iv. Colleague B. h. Mimicked parents and/or pupils in front of Colleague C; i. Told Colleague P that you wanted to ‘get rid’ of SEN [Redacted] from her class as it would be ‘better off without them’, or words to that effect. 5. She intimidated staff by: a. stating that sick days are unacceptable and/or sick days should not be taken, or words to that effect; b. threatening and/or unreasonably commenting on the possibility that staff would not pass their NQT year and/or could not get a job elsewhere; c. in or around January 2015, telling Colleague D upon being notified that she was unwell that “her illness was no excuse and/or that she was letting her class down” or words to that effect; d. reprimanding staff in front of other staff, parents and/or pupils including: i. Colleague C; ii. Colleague O; iii. Colleague Q; iv. Colleague I; v. Colleague J; vi. Colleague R; vii. Colleague M; and/or viii. Colleague N. 7 e. advising staff not to socialise with each other and/or form friendships; f. telling Colleague O she would report her to the Department for Education and/or give her a bad reference, after she told her she had considered leaving the school; g. telling Colleague J that if she left the school before she had signed her contract she would “hunt her down like a dog with a bone and do her for breach of contract”, or words to that effect; h. telling Colleague J that she “was not a true Christian”, or words to that effect, when she refused to provide cover for a teacher who was off sick; i. threatening and/or inappropriately commenting to Colleague N that she would not provide her with a reference. 6. Advised Colleague G of what he should say to the Polic