Ms Helena Stanier

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: Ms Helena Stanier

Teacher reference number: 1959521

Teacher's date of birth: 30 October 2023

Location teacher worked: Staffordshire, West Midlands

Date of professional conduct panel: 30 October 2023

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 Ms Helena Stanier, formerly employed in Staffordshire, West Midlands.

Teacher misconduct

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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.

Ms Helena Stanier: Professional conduct panel meeting outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education October 2023 2 Contents Introduction 3 Allegations 4 Preliminary applications 4 Summary of evidence 4 Documents 4 Statement of agreed facts 5 Decision and reasons 5 Findings of fact 6 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 10 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 15 3 Professional conduct panel decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State Teacher: Ms Helena Stanier Teacher ref number: 1959521 Teacher date of birth: 17 June 1989 TRA reference: 20402 Date of determination: 30 October 2023 Former employer: Cardinal Griffin Catholic College, Cannock Introduction A professional conduct panel (‘the panel’) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (‘the TRA’) convened on 30 October 2023 by way of a virtual meeting, to consider the case of Ms Helena Stanier. The panel members were Mr Jeremy Philips (lay panellist – in the chair), Ms Hannah Fellows (lay panellist) and Ms Michelle Chappell (teacher panellist) The legal adviser to the panel was Mr Sam Haldane of Birketts LLP solicitors. In advance of the meeting, after taking into consideration the public interest and the interests of justice, the TRA agreed to a request from Ms Helena Stanier that the allegations be considered without a hearing. Ms Helena Stanier provided a signed statement of agreed facts and admitted conviction of a relevant offence. The panel considered the case at a meeting without the attendance of the presenting officer, Ms Claire Hastie of Kingsley Napley LLP, Ms Stanier or any representative for Ms Stanier. The meeting took place in private by way of a virtual meeting. 4 Allegations The panel considered the allegations set out in the notice of meeting dated 15 August 2023. It was alleged that Ms Helena Stanier was guilty of having been convicted of relevant offences, between 2018 and 2021 in that: 1. On 15 June 2018, she was convicted at Staffordshire Magistrates Court of the following offences: a) Driving a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road/in a public place without due care and attention on 10 March 2018; b) Failing to give name and address after an accident on 10 March 2018; and c) Failing to report an accident on 10 March 2018. 2. On 21 July 2021, she was convicted at Staffordshire Magistrates Court of the following offences: a) 3 counts of assault by beating of an emergency worker on 5 July 2021; b) Driving a motor vehicle with excess alcohol on 5 July 2021; and c) 2 counts of Battery on 5 July 2021. Ms Stanier admitted the facts of allegations 1(a), 1(b), 1(c), 2(a), 2(b) and 2(c), and that her behaviour amounted to a conviction of a relevant offence as set out in the response to the notice of referral dated 11 February 2023, and in the statement of agreed facts signed by Ms Stanier on 15 June 2023. Preliminary applications There were no preliminary applications. Documents In advance of the meeting, the panel received a bundle of documents which included: • Section 1: Chronology and anonymised individual list – page 3 • Section 2: Notice of Referral, response and notice of meeting – pages 4 to 18a • Section 3: Statement of Agreed Facts and Presenting Officer Representations – pages 19 to 23 5 • Section 4: TRA documents – pages 24 to 91 • Section 5: Teacher documents – pages 92 to 97 The panel members confirmed that they had read all of the documents within the bundle, in advance of the meeting. Statement of agreed facts The panel considered a statement of agreed facts which was signed by Ms Stanier on 15 June 2023 and subsequently signed by the presenting officer on 20 June 2023. Decision and reasons The panel carefully considered the case and reached the following decision and reasons: In advance of the meeting, the TRA agreed to a request from Ms Stanier for the allegations 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. Ms Stanier was employed as a PE Teacher at Cardinal Griffin Catholic College (‘the School’) between 1 January 2021 and 31 August 2021. Prior to her employment at the School, on 10 March 2018, whilst driving, Ms Stanier had collided with an unattended, parked car. Following this collision, she failed to stop at the scene and subsequently failed to report the collision to the police. The car that Ms Stanier collided with sustained extensive damage resulting in total loss of the vehicle. On 15 June 2018, Ms Stanier pleaded guilty to the offences as set out in allegations 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c), at Staffordshire Magistrates Court. Ms Stanier was convicted of these offences which relate to events that occurred on 10 March 2018. In respect of her conviction, on 15 June 2018, Mrs Stanier received a fine of £533, her driving licence endorsed 7 penalty points, and she was ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge. Subsequently, on 5 July 2021, during the period of her employment at the School, Ms Stanier was driving around a sharp corner of Blithbury Road. Ms Stanier was driving with excessive speed and on the wrong side of the road, which resulted in her colliding with the front nearside bumper of another car. Following this traffic collision, police were called to attend the scene. 6 Whilst waiting for the police to arrive on 5 July 2021, Ms Stanier started to reverse her vehicle in an attempt to leave the scene. When members of the public attempted to remove her car keys to prevent her leaving the scene, Ms Stanier assaulted one or more of these individuals. Following the assault, Ms Stanier left the scene of the collision on foot. When the police arrived at the scene, they found 2 empty bottles of wine and 1 full bottle of wine in Ms Stanier’s car. Following the arrival of the police, Ms Stanier was located a short distance from the scene and was arrested by the police. Ms Stanier was over the legal driving limit for alcohol; she was found to have 75 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. This was more than double the legal limit of 35 microgrammes. During the course of her arrest, Ms Stanier assaulted police officers who were acting in the exercise of their functions. On 6 July 2021, Ms Stanier was interviewed by the police. On 21 July 2021, Ms Stanier pleaded guilty at Staffordshire Magistrates Court to the offences as set out in allegations 2(a), 2(b) and 2(c), which relate to the events that occurred on 5 July 2021. In respect of her conviction on 21 July 2021, Ms Stanier was sentenced to: disqualification from driving for a period of 22 months, a community order comprising of an alcohol treatment requirement, a rehabilitation activity requirement, compensation and victim surcharge. 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 15 June 2018, you were convicted at Staffordshire Magistrates Court of the following offences a) Driving a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road/in a public place without due care and attention on 10 March 2018; b) Failing to give name and address after an accident on 10 March 2018; 7 c) Failing to report an accident on 10 March 2018. The panel considered the statement of agreed facts, signed by Ms Stanier on 15 June 2023. In the statement of agreed facts, Ms Stanier admitted the particulars of allegations 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c). Ms Stanier further admitted that the facts of the allegations amounted to a conviction of a relevant offence. The panel noted page 8 of The Teacher Misconduct: The Prohibition of Teachers (October 2018) (‘the Advice’) which states that where there has been a conviction at any time, of a criminal offence, the panel will accept the certificate of conviction as conclusive proof of both the conviction and the facts necessarily implied by the conviction, unless exceptional circumstances apply. The panel had been provided with a copy of the memorandum of conviction from Staffordshire Magistrates’ Court dated 15 June 2018. The memorandum detailed that Ms Stanier had been convicted of being the driver of a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road or other public place on 10 March 2018, and following the occurrence of an accident she failed to give her name and address to a person who had reasonable grounds for requiring her to do so. Ms Stanier was also convicted of failing to report the accident at a police station or to a constable as soon as was reasonably practicable, and in any case within 24 hours. In respect of the allegations, Ms Stanier was sentenced to a fine of £533, to pay a surcharge and fund victim services of £53, to pay costs of £85, and she had her driving record endorsed with 7 points. On examination of the documents before the panel and the admissions in the statement of agreed facts, the panel was satisfied that the facts of allegations 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c) were proven. 2. On 21 July 2021, you were convicted at Staffordshire Magistrates Court of the following offences; a) 3 counts of assault by beating of an emergency worker on 5 July 2021; b) Driving a motor vehicle with excess alcohol on 5 July 2021; c) 2 counts of Battery on 5 July 2021. In the statement of agreed facts, Ms Stanier also admitted the particulars of allegations 2(a), 2(b) and 2(c). Ms Stanier further admitted that the facts of the allegations amounted to a conviction of a relevant offence. 8 The panel considered page 8 of the Advice and accepted the certificates as conclusiv