Teacher 'swigged alcohol during rave-like lesson and called pupils little sh**s'
A teacher called pupils "little s****" and swigged alcohol from a water bottle during a rave-like lesson, a fitness to practice hearing has been told.
Alice Ashton allegedly started to "behave out of character" during an "out of control" lesson which turned into a "mini rave with loud music, shouting and dancing".
The alleged antics resulted in pupils raising concerns about her behaviour, saying they could smell alcohol in an Evian bottle she had been drinking from.
One 16-year-old told the hearing Miss Ashton was also swearing and called the whole class "little sh**s" in January last year. The Education Workforce Council panel heard the lesson took place just four months after Miss Ashton was convicted of drink driving.
Miss Ashton was described as "smiley and happy" before she started to become "agitated" at Ysgol Bro Caereinion school in Welshpool, Powys, The Mirror reports.
Giving evidence in person, a 16 year-old schoolgirl said Miss Ashton drank orange liquid which smelled of alcohol while playing music from her laptop.
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The student, referred to as Pupil H, said fellow classmates discussed afterwards how odd the teacher's behaviour had been. She said Miss Ashton taught her "boring" PSE numerous times before and were usually about alcohol and drug awareness but not that day.
The pupil said she had been sitting in the front row of the class and could smell alcohol from the Evian water bottle. She told the hearing the bottle was full at the start of the lesson and almost empty by the end.
Pupil H said: "She was very, very close to us. There was a slight alcoholic smell. She was very, very lively and quite animated and speaking with her hands. In other lessons she was more reserved and quiet.
"Alice Ashton had an Evian bottle with orange juice. I noticed she was regularly taking swigs from the bottle. I recall Alice Ashton asked the class to make the Macarena. She played music and we were not doing work."
The teenager said Miss Ashton "kept jumping up from her desk" but became "irritated" as the lesson went on. The hearing was told one schoolboy was walking around the classroom"annoying" people when Miss Ashton told him to leave but "not to snitch".
Pupil H said: "She began to swear at him. She put her middle finger two to three inches from his face and continued to swear at him." Another student said: "She got us to dance the Macarena and she did not care about the lesson anymore.
She got some students dancing to the laptop and speakers and it spiralled out of control." Miss Ashton, who was not present at the hearing, did not respond to the allegations.
The hearing was told she had previously emailed the EWC to say she was no longer working as a teacher and had moved to England. Presenting officer Lewis Harrison said Miss Ashton had told an internal school inquiry that she did not swear or sing to the class.
But Mr Harrison said CCTV footage of the lesson was totally at odds with her denials. He said: "It is totally untenable to suggest the music is being played as background music. The evidence is very clear that Miss Ashton did not remain at the front of the class.
"She invited pupils to dance." Alice Ashton faces allegations unacceptable professional conduct relating to her conviction of drink driving at Telford Magistrates' Court in September 2023.
The allegations also include appearing under the influence of alcohol at work in January last year and acting in an unprofessional manner to pupils by swearing and using a "V" sign with her fingers. The remote hearing continues.
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