Unknown Teacher

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

Teacher reference number:

7645287

Teacher's date of birth:

29 May 1957

Location teacher worked:

Devon, South West England

Date of professional conduct panel:

26 February 2019

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 Kim Wild, formerly employed in Devon, South West England.

The proceedings were held at 53 Cheylesmore House, 5 Quinton Road, Coventry, CV1 2WT at 9.30am on 26 February 2019.

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.

Ms Kim Wild: Professional conduct panel outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education February 2019 2 Contents A. Introduction 3 B. Allegations 4 C. Preliminary applications 4 D. Summary of evidence 4 Documents 4 Witnesses 5 E. Decision and reasons 5 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 9 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 13 3 Professional conduct panel decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State Teacher: Ms Kim Wild Teacher ref number: 7645287 Teacher date of birth: 29 May 1957 TRA reference: 16678 Date of determination: 26 February 2019 Former employer: Bere Alston Primary School, Yelverton ('the School') A. Introduction A professional conduct panel (“the panel”) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (“the TRA”) convened on 9 November 2018, 18 January 2019 and 26 February 2019 at Cheylesmore House, 5 Quinton Road, Coventry, CV1 2WT to consider the case of Ms. Kim Wild. The panel members were Mr Colin Parker ( teacher panellist – in the c hair), Ms Angela Brown (lay panellist) and Mr John Pemberton (former teacher panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Mr James Danks of Blake Morgan LLP. The presenting officer for the TRA was Ms Naomh Gibson of Browne Jacobson LLP. Ms Wild was present and was represented by Mr Jonathan Storey of Counsel. The hearing took place in public and was recorded. 4 B. Allegations The panel considered the allegations set out in the Notice of Proceedings dated 30 August 2018. It was alleged that Ms Kim Wild was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute , in that whilst employed as the Head Teacher at Bere Alston Primary School from 1 September 1979 to 31 August 2017: 1. She failed to comply with statutory guidance in relation to the administration of KS2 SATs papers during the academic year 2016/17, including by: a. allowing one or more pupils to amend their test papers after the test had finished; b. reviewing one or more pupils' papers after their tests had been completed; c. amending one or more pupils' test papers after the completion of those papers. 2. Her conduct as may be found proven at allegation 1 above lacked integrity and/or was dishonest. Within a Statement of Agreed Facts signed by both parties on 15 th October 2018, Ms Wild admitted the allegations, although not some of the particulars as how the TRA put its case. Nevertheless, for those admitted facts, Ms Wild accepted that her actions amounted t o unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. C. Preliminary applications There were no preliminary applications. D. Summary of evidence Documents In advance of the hearing, the panel received a bundle of documents which included: Section 1: Chronology – page 2 Section 2: Notice of Proceedings and Response – pages 4 to 18 Section 3: Teaching Regulation Agency witness statements – pages 20 to 28 5 Section 4: Teaching Regulation Agency documents – pages 30 to 228 Section 5: Teacher documents – pages 230 to 342 The panel members confirmed that they had read all of the documents in advance of the hearing. Witnesses The panel heard oral evidence from Ms. Wild. E. Decision and reasons The panel announced its decision and reasons as follows: The panel has carefully considered the case before us and has reached a decision. The panel confirms that it has read all the documents provided in the bundle in advance of the hearing. Ms Wild had been employed at the School since September 1983 as a teacher and from September 1992 to August 2017, as the School's Head teacher. On 9th May 2017, Ms Wild was the teacher in charge of Key Stage 2 ('KS2') SATs papers relating to English Grammar Punctuation and Spelling . During the tests, it is alleged that Ms Wild invited some pupils to clarify the alterations on their exam papers when they were being collected by her, that she reviewed the papers as she was doing so and subsequently clarified some of the amendments made by the pupils and corrected answers. It was also alleged that on 10 th May 2017, Ms Wild over -aided some pupils during their KS2 Mathematics papers and ha d amended incorrect answers on these papers after the conclusion of the tests. Following an anonymous tip off, the Standards and Testing Agency ('STA') conducted an investigation, which led to its decision to annul the results for all pupils for all subjects within the School's cohort. Ms Wild resigned from her position on 2 August 2017. Findings of fact Our findings of fact are as follows: The panel has found the following particulars of the allegations against you proven, for these reasons: Whilst employed as the Head Teacher at Bere Alston Primary School from 1 September 1979 to 31 August 2017: 6 1. You failed to comply with statutory guidance in relation to the administration of KS2 SATs papers during the academic year 2016/17, including by: a. allowing one or more pupils to amend their test papers after the test had finished The panel noted the signed Statement of Agreed Facts, in which Ms Wild unequivocally admits this allegation to the extent that she invited students to clarify their alterations on their English Grammar Punctuation and Spelling test papers on 9 May 2017. This clarification amounted to Ms Wild asking pupils 'is that crossed out properly?' Ms Wild also accepted that her conduct was contrary to the statutory guidance in place at the time, specifically the 2017 Assessment and Reporting Arrangements ('ARA') and the Key Stage 2: Test Administration Guidance, 2017 National Curriculum Tests ('Test Administration Guidance'). The TRA al so invited the panel to conclude that Ms Wild had allowed pupils to amend their Mathematics test papers, sat on 10 May 2017, and / or that she had amended the papers herself after the test's conclusion. The panel's attention was drawn to a number of completed questions from Mathematics papers (such as at pages 54 to 75), which apparently showed the correct answer being reached but without the relevant calculations leading to that answer. This was apparent for one particular question for three pupils. In addition, the panel was invited to consider different handwriting , differing thickness of pencil marks and blue ink being used (when other writing on the paper was in pencil) to suggest that answers had been amended by someone other than the relevant pupil. The panel also noted a document within the bundle (at page 40) from an unnamed author that stated "there were a significant amount of 'amendments to correct' in the mathematics test. A number of pupils had answers that had been amended (to correct) yet the calculation to support the answer is wrong – the pupil could not have arrived at the correct answer with the calculation they had provided. This supports an allegation that amendments being made by staff after the test administration". Whilst this document included Ms Wild's name in the 'Background' section t here was no clarification as to which 'staff' were being referred to later on in the document. It was also noted that in correspondence dated 18 July 2017 to the School from the STA's Senior Maladministration Manager, whilst the STA had "identified evidence of maladministration on a number of English [papers]…", there was only one reference to 'concerns' on the mathematics test scripts. 7 Ms Wild gave evidence in relation to the Mathematics papers. Whilst she admitted 'over aiding' pupils during the test, she specifically denied amending, or allowing to be amended, the test papers. Ms Wild explained that she would sometimes offer her own pencil to a child, which may explain different widths of pencil marks, but no more than that. No expert evidence was before the panel as to who had made the amendments to the Mathematics papers. In the absence of any direct evidence as to who had altered the Mathematics papers and when this had happened, the panel accepted that one possible inference that may be drawn was that Ms Wild had done so. However, there were also a number of other plausible explanations, such as pupils correcting their own answers, cheating or calculating answers on a different sheet of paper, which could also explain the amendments. On that basis, the panel does not find this allegation proved in respect of the Mathematics test. However, on the basis of the Statement of Agreed Facts and M s Wild's own evidence, both written and oral, the panel does find this allegation proved in regards to her conduct on 9 May 2017. b. reviewing one or more pupils' papers after their tests had been completed The panel noted the signed Statement of Agreed F acts, in which Ms Wild unequivocally admits this allegation to the extent that she reviewed pupils' answers as she was collecting the papers for the English Grammar Punctuation and Spelling test paper on 9 May 2017. Ms Wild also accepted that her conduct was contrary to the statutory guidance in place at the time, specifically the ARA and the Test Administration Guidance'. The panel also heard live evidence on this allegation from Ms Wild, who confirmed her conduct in the respect of the allegation. On this evidence and the Statement of Agreed Facts, the panel finds this allegation proved. For the reasons given for allegation 1a, the panel did not find this allegation proved in respect of the Mathematics paper. c. amending one or more pupils' test papers after the completion of those papers. 8 The panel noted the signed Statement of Agreed Facts, in which Ms Wild unequivocally admits this allegation to the extent that she had "clarified some crossings out, scribbled over some amendments, overwrote on some unclear amendments whe