Ms Julie White-Zamler

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 Julie White-Zamler

Location teacher worked: Oxfordshire, South East England

Date of professional conduct panel: 09 June 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 Ms Julie White-Zamler formerly employed in Oxfordshire, South East England.

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 Julie White-Zamler: Professional conduct panel outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education June 2025 2 Contents Introduction 3 Allegations 4 Summary of evidence 5 Documents 5 Witnesses 5 Decision and reasons 6 Findings of fact 7 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 23 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 27 3 Professional conduct panel decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State Teacher: Ms Julie White-Zamler TRA reference: 22009 Date of determination: 13 June 2025 Former employer: University Technical College Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire; Aureus Secondary School, Oxfordshire Introduction A professional conduct panel (“the panel”) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (“the TRA”) convened on 9 June 2025 by way of a virtual hearing, to consider the case of Ms Julie White-Zamler (“Ms White-Zamler”). The panel members were Ms Jo Palmer-Tweed (teacher panellist – in the chair), Mr Ian McKim (lay panellist) and Mr Stephen Chappell (lay panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Mrs Carly Hagedorn of Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP Solicitors. The presenting officer for the TRA was Ms Leah Redden of Browne Jacobson LLP Solicitors. Ms White-Zamler was present and was represented by Ms Lorraine Mensah of Counsel. The hearing took place in public and was recorded. 4 Allegations The panel considered the allegations set out in the notice of proceedings dated 24 January 2025. It was alleged that Ms White-Zamler was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, in that: 1. Whilst employed as a Special Educational Needs Coordinator at UTC Oxfordshire and/or Deputy Headteacher Pastoral at Aureus Secondary School, she engaged in and/ or developed an inappropriate relationship with Pupil A, by; a. Sending inappropriate messages to Pupil A on his personal mobile phone by: i. Sending love heart(s) and/or emojis; ii. Stating she loved Pupil A; iii. Referring to Pupil A as ‘babe’ or using words to that effect; iv. Stating ‘NO MF is replacing me…I am still going to be 100% in your fucking life. Drug dealer or not’ or using words to that effect; v. Stating ‘you’ve done drugs exploitation now you can try sex exploitation’ or using words to that effect; vi. Stating ‘so WTF was today all about? I’m not sure I get where you are at currently so feeling a bit confused. It’d be nice to spend some actual (quality) time together’ or using words to that effect vii. Sending pictures of her and Pupil A b. Messaging Pupil A on Facebook Messenger; c. Calling Pupil A on his mobile number; d. Meeting with Pupil A outside of school hours; e. Driving Pupil A in her car alone to his and/or the care home f. Allowing Pupil A to stay in contact with her after she had left her role at UTC Oxfordshire; 2. Whilst employed as a Deputy Headteacher Pastoral at Aureus Secondary School she engaged in inappropriate and/or unprofessional behaviour towards Pupil B by making a comment that Pupil B had big ‘boobs’ or making a comment to that effect. 5 Ms White-Zamler admitted the facts of the allegations and that some of her conduct was inappropriate but denied that her conduct met the threshold for unacceptable professional conduct and/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: Anonymised pupil list – page 7 Section 2: Chronology – page 9 Section 3: Notice of referral, proceedings and response – pages 11 to 42 Section 4: Statement of Agreed and Disputed Facts – pages 44 to 48 Section 5; Teaching Regulation Agency witness statements – pages 50 to 70 Section 4: Teaching Regulation Agency documents – pages 72 to 285 Section 5: Teacher documents – pages 288 to 397 The panel also received two video recordings from Ms White-Zamler’s interview with the police. In addition, the panel agreed to accept the following: • Statement of Agreed and Disputed Facts – pages 398 to 402 • Witness Statement of Ms White-Zamler dated 3 June 2025 – pages 403 to 427 • Photographs – pages 408 to 409 • Character Reference – page 410 The panel members confirmed that they had read all the documents within the bundle and viewed the videos in advance of the hearing and the additional documents that the panel decided to admit. In the consideration of this case, the panel had regard to the document Teacher misconduct: Disciplinary procedures for the teaching profession 2020, (the “Procedures”). Witnesses The panel heard oral evidence from the following witnesses called by the presenting officer: 6 Witness A – [REDACTED] Witness B – [REDACTED] Witness C – [REDACTED] Witness D – [REDACTED] Ms White-Zamler also gave oral evidence and called the following witnesses: Witness E – [REDACTED] Witness F – [REDACTED] Witness G – [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. Ms White-Zamler commenced employment at University Technical College Oxfordshire (“the College”) in September 2018. Ms White-Zamler was employed as a member of the senior leadership team and as part of her role she was the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (“SENDCo”). Pupil A joined the College in September 2020. Pupil A was considered to be a vulnerable pupil. Ms White-Zamler was a member of the multi-agency safeguarding team that worked to support Pupil A and his family. In around February 2022, Pupil A [REDACTED]. Pupil A requested that Ms White-Zamler be a ‘family and friend’ contact [REDACTED]. Ms White-Zamler was contacted by Pupil A’s parents [REDACTED] in respect of the request and Ms White-Zamler agreed to the being a designated ‘family and friend’ contact. Following Ms White-Zamler’s designation as a ‘family and friend’ contact, she was vetted by staff [REDACTED] and informed that Pupil A could communicate with her by phone as needed. [REDACTED]. At this point, Ms White-Zamler’s personal telephone number was provided to Pupil A [REDACTED], and Ms White-Zamler received Pupil A’s contact number from [REDACTED] Pupil A later returned to the College. Ms White-Zamler later ceased employment with the College, and her last day on site was 27 May 2022. She later commenced employment at Aureus Secondary School (“the School”) immediately afterwards in June 2022. Ms White-Zamler was employed as the Deputy Head Pastoral which included acting as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (“DSL”). 7 Before Ms White-Zamler’s departure from the College, Pupil A requested whether he could remain in contact with Ms White-Zamler after she had left the College. [REDACTED] raised no objection and Pupil A’s parents were supportive of Ms White- Zamler remaining a designated contact point, notwithstanding her departure from the College, as they considered her a ‘friend of the family’. The headteacher at the School was made aware of this arrangement. The role of a ‘friend of the family’ was not defined. On 22 February 2023, the Local Authority Designated Officer (“LADO”) service was contacted by Thames Valley Police who informed the team that they had accessed and viewed text messages between Ms White-Zamler and Pupil A as part of Pupil A being arrested by the police about an unrelated matter. Pupil A’s phone was seized by the police and the police found around 1700 messages between Ms White-Zamler and Pupil A. The text messaging commenced when Pupil A was a pupil at the College and whilst Ms White-Zamler was employed by the College and continued during her employment by the School. A position of trust meeting was held on 23 February 2023. Ms White-Zamler was arrested on the same day under the Sexual Offences Act. Ms White-Zamler was later released on bail. Ms White-Zamler ceased employment with the School in or around April 2023. On 19 May 2023, the police decided that no further action would be taken. 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. Whilst employed as a Special Educational Needs Coordinator at UTC Oxfordshire and/or Deputy Headteacher Pastoral at Aureus Secondary School, you engaged in and/ or developed an inappropriate relationship with Pupil A, by: a. Sending inappropriate messages to Pupil A on his personal mobile phone by: ii. Stating you love Pupil A; Ms White-Zamler admitted that she stated that she loved Pupil A. The panel found Ms White-Zamler to be consistent when providing her evidence in relation to this allegation. In a written statement provided to the TRA on 24 September 2023, Ms White-Zamler stated “This happened on 31/05/2022 on my last day at the UTC and two other UTC Year 8 11 pupils ([REDACTED]) finished their science GCSE exam at around 10:30 and came to see me to say goodbye. [Pupil A] came at the same time. We sat and talked and then [Pupil A] stood up to leave and told me had bought me a present. He said the card was from his Mum and Dad, but that the present was from him. He then left. I opened the present in front of the girls and cried as it was very moving, thanking me for what I had done for him (I have attached a photo). One of the girls ([REDACTED]) said I deserved it and that he would probably be dead if it was not for me and the help I had given him. I said that was not true, but I have tried to care about him. The pupil said that I have cared for them all and that they ‘love me’. I thanked her. I sent [Pupil A] the message saying I love you then.” Ms White-Zamler stated in her oral evidence that “I wish I hadn’t written that. I said it