Latest news with #AliceAshton
Toronto Sun
04-07-2025
- Toronto Sun
Drunk teacher called students ‘little s***s', made them ‘dance the Macarena'
Alice Ashton, former teacher in Wales who was found to have been drunk in classroom where she called students "little s***s" and made the "dance the Macarena." Facebook A teacher who turned her Wales classroom into a 'mini-rave' has been removed from the job. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Alice Ashton, 31, was accused of calling her students 'little s***s' and asked them to 'dance the Macarena' during a class at Ysgol Bro Caereinion school in Welshpool, Wales, in January 2024. During a disciplinary hearing, the Education Workforce Council were told that the 'out-of-control' lesson devolved into a 'mini-rave, with loud music, shouting and dancing,' the Telegraph reported. Students, particularly those near the front of the classroom, said they could smell alcohol from a water bottle from which Ashton was drinking, according to the outlet. The usually 'reserved and quiet' teacher's classes on alcohol and drug awareness were normally 'boring,' one 16-year-old student told the panel. But before the class, she was spotted guzzling from a water bottle that reeked of booze, the unidentified pupil recalled. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. '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,' the student explained. Ashton 'asked the class to make the Macarena' and 'played music,' the student detailed, adding, 'we were not doing work.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO Another student added: 'She got us to dance the Macarena and she did not care about the lesson any more. She got some students dancing to the laptop and speakers and it spiralled out of control.' Ashton kept 'jumping up from her desk' but soon became 'irritated' as the lesson went on, the student said, as the teacher repeatedly swore and called the whole class 'little s***s.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The students noticed that the 'water' bottle Ashton had been taking swigs from was almost empty by the end of the class. The wild lesson took place about four months after the teacher had been convicted of drunk driving, the fitness-to-practice hearing heard. Read More Ashton denied the allegations during an internal school review, LBC reported, but according to the panel, CCTV footage from the classroom corroborated the students' stories. The panel found that she appeared under the influence and/or smelled of alcohol in the classroom, according to the Telegraph . Ashton, who was not at the hearing, has not responded to the allegations, nor did she show any remorse or issue an apology. She was struck off the teaching register indefinitely, but may reapply in two years. Ontario Toronto Blue Jays News Celebrity World
New York Post
03-07-2025
- New York Post
Teacher accused of chugging booze, called students ‘little s—ts' and making them dance the Macarena
A teacher who allegedly chugged booze and hurled curse words at students during a lesson that she interrupted to have them dance the Macarena has been fired. Alice Ashton from the UK was swigging from a water bottle full of orange liquid which smelled of alcohol and blaring music from her laptop during the health class, one of her 16-year-old students told a hearing on Tuesday, reported the Telegraph. She also called students 'little s—ts' and 'put her middle finger two to three inches' from another teen's face during the 'out of control' class at Ysgol Bro Caereinion school in Welshpool, Wales, in January last year. The usually 'reserved and quiet' teacher's classes on alcohol and drug awareness were normally 'boring,' a student told the hearing of the Education Workforce Council Wales panel. 4 UK teacher Alice Ashton has been struck off after allegedly swigging alcohol in class and swearing at students. WALES NEWS SERVICE But before the class, she was spotted swigging from a water bottle that had an 'alcoholic smell,' the unidentified student told the hearing. '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,' the student said, as reported by LBC. '[She] asked the class to make the Macarena. She played music and we were not doing work,' the student said. Ashton's sloppy behavior came just four months after she had been convicted of drunk-driving, the fitness-to-practice hearing heard. 4 Ashton also forced students to dance the Macarena, a disciplinary hearing heard. WALES NEWS SERVICE The 'water' bottle Ashton had in her class was almost empty by the end of the class, the students said. Ashton 'kept jumping up from her desk' and was becoming 'irritated' as the class went on, at point getting right in an unruly teen's face, the student said. Ashton denied that she had sung or sworn at students in an internal school review, but multiple witnesses came forward to describe the chaotic scene. 4 Ashton called her students 'little s–ts.' WALES NEWS SERVICE 'She got some students dancing to the laptop and speakers and it spiraled out of control,' a second teenager said. CCTV footage from the class that day corroborated the students' stories, the panel said. 'It is totally untenable to suggest the music is being played as background music,' presenting officer Lewis Harris said, as reported by LBC. 'The evidence is very clear that Miss Ashton did not remain at the front of the class. She invited pupils to dance.' 4 She was working at Ysgol Bro Caereinion school in Welshpool, Wales at the time. WALES NEWS SERVICE Ashton was removed from the teaching register indefinitely, but may reapply in two years. She did not appear at the hearing and showed no remorse for her actions, having not even responded to the findings, the disciplinary panel said. Ashton emailed the panel only to say that she has since moved to England and no longer works as a teacher.
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Teacher who 'swigged from alcohol-smelling drink as she swore at pupils and tried to get them to dance the Macarena' is struck off
A teacher who 'swigged' from a bottle containing an 'alcoholic-smelling drink' before swearing at pupils as she tried to get them to dance the Macarena has been struck off. Alice Ashton was 'smiley and happy' as she was 'swigging' from a bottle but then became 'agitated', swore, and made rude hand gestures, one teenager claimed. It was today found proven that she appeared under the influence and/or smelt of alcohol whilst at work. She was struck off the teaching register indefinitely but may reapply in two years. Giving evidence in person on the second day of a professional standards hearing the 16-year-old said Ashton drank orange liquid which smelled of alcohol throughout a personal and social education lesson. The normally quiet teacher at Ysgol Bro Caereinion in Welshpool played music from her laptop and was behaving out of character during the 'rave-like' lesson, the Education Workforce Council (EWC) Wales panel heard on Tuesday July 1. When the class became unsettled, Ashton shouted and swore at at least two pupils as well as telling the whole class they were 'little s***s', the remote hearing was told. The 16-year-old pupil, referred to only as Pupil H to protect her identity, told the panel how pupils discussed afterwards how odd the teacher's behaviour had been. She was later interviewed as part of an investigation by the school into the matter. The teenager said Ashton had taught her PSE numerous times before the lesson in January 2024 when she had behaved differently from usual. The pupil said Ashton's 'boring' PSE lessons followed content she was familiar with and included alcohol and drug awareness but not on that day. Sitting in the front row of the class Pupil H said she was near enough to smell alcohol, mixed with what appeared to be orange squash, contained in an Evian water bottle. The bottle was full at the start of the lesson and almost empty by the end, the pupil added. 'She was very, very close to us. There was a slight alcoholic smell,' they said. 'She was very, very lively and quite animated and speaking with her hands. In other lessons she was more reserved and quiet.' Pupil H continued: 'Alice Ashton had an Evian bottle with orange juice. I noticed she was regularly taking swigs from the bottle. Ashton faced the following allegations at the EWC hearing 1. On September 19, 2023, at Telford Magistrates' Court, was convicted of driving with an alcohol over the limit on August 19, 2023, and as a consequence was sentenced to a 12-month community order, 200 hours of unpaid work, and disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for 28 months. 2. On or around January 17, 2024, appeared under the influence and/or smelt of alcohol whilst at work. 3. On one or more dates in or around January 2024 acted in an inappropriate and/or unprofessional manner towards and/or in front of pupil(s), in that she: a) said 'f***' and/or 's***', or words to that effect; and/or b) told pupil(s) to 'suck it' and/or 'f*** off', or words to that effect; and/or c) called pupil(s) 'divvys' and/or 'little s***s', and/or 'little bitch', or words to that effect; and/or d) did not allow Pupil G and/or Pupil J to leave the classroom; and/or e) in response to Pupil G saying he would 'snitch', you said 'be my guest, while you go we will slag you off', and/or 'don't snitch', or words to that effect; and/or; f) put her middle finger up and/or made a 'V' sign with your fingers at Pupil G. 'I recall Alice Ashton asked the class to make the Macarena. She played music and we were not doing work.' The teenager described how Ashton 'kept jumping up from her desk' but became 'irritated' as the lesson went on. One pupil, referred to as Pupil J, wanted to put a certain song on but the teacher didn't want him to and when he played it on her laptop, the teacher 'swore and yelled at him'. Another pupil, Pupil G, was walking around the classroom 'annoying' people before Ashton told him to go out of the room but warned him 'not to snitch'. 'She began to swear at him. She put her middle finger two to three inches from his face and continued to swear at him,' Pupil H told the committee. The teacher then turned her annoyance on the class, she claimed. 'Alice Ashton swore at the whole class because we became rowdy.' Ashton was not present and not represented at the hearing and did not make any responses to the raft of allegations she faces, which means the allegations would usually be taken as denied. But she did email the EWC last summer saying she was no longer working as a teacher, was no longer in Wales, and had moved to England. Some of the responses Ashton had given to the school's inquiry were also detailed by EWC presenting officer Lewis Harrison. He said that Ashton had denied swearing or singing to the class when interviewed by the inquiry. CCTV footage of the class was also shown to the committee in private. Describing what the footage showed, Mr Harrison said it was totally at odds with Ashton's denials to the school's investigation. He said Ashton had claimed she played music at the end of the lesson only and may have sung along to it quietly but 'I would not have been singing to the class'. Mr Harrison said this was 'untenable' given the CCTV footage. '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,' he told the hearing. Mr Harrison also described in more detail how other pupils had described what happened during the class during the school's investigation. One child, Pupil A, said: 'She (Ashton) was slipping with swear words, talking a lot less formally, and having been so irresponsible it felt like a mini rave with loud music, shouting, and dancing.' Pupil A added that Ashton was 'acting crazy', her walking was wobbly, and she was 'not acting like a teacher'. Another 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.' Another pupil described how Ashton had told Pupil G to 'sit the f*** down'. At the start of the hearing the panel was told by the school investigator that the orange liquid Ashton had was tested for alcohol by the school. But she had not taken that into consideration because the school did not have an alcohol testing policy. Mr Harrison said evidence from pupils was clear that the liquid Ashton was drinking during the lesson that day smelled of alcohol and that she was presenting as being under the influence and acting out of character. The panel must decide whether any or all the allegations are proved and, if so, whether individually or collectively they amount to unacceptable profession. Ysgol Bro Caereinion, a bilingual, all age school, has more than 500 pupils aged four to 16. The school opened in September 2021 following the merger of Ysgol Gynradd Llanfair Caereinion and Ysgol Uwchradd Caereinion.
Telegraph
03-07-2025
- Telegraph
Drunk teacher gave ‘rave-like lesson' and called children ‘little ‘s---s'
A teacher has been struck off for drinking alcohol from a water bottle during a 'rave-like lesson'. Alice Ashton, 31, allegedly called her class 'little s---s' and asked pupils to 'dance the Macarena' during a class in January last year. A fitness to practice hearing was told the 'out-of-control' lesson at Ysgol Bro Caereinion school in Welshpool, Wales, turned to a 'mini rave with loud music, shouting, and dancing'. Pupils raised concerns about her behaviour after they said they could smell alcohol from an Evian bottle she was drinking from. The Education Workforce Council (EWC) panel heard the lesson took place just four months after Ms Ashton had been convicted of drink driving. Ms Ashton was described as 'smiley and happy' before she started to become 'agitated'. Drinking on the job Giving evidence in person, a 16-year-old schoolgirl said Ms Ashton drank orange liquid which smelled of alcohol while playing music from her laptop. The student, referred to as Pupil H, said fellow classmates discussed afterwards how odd the teacher's behaviour had been. She said Ms Ashton had taught her 'boring' Personal and Social Education numerous times before and the lessons were usually about alcohol and drug awareness, but not on 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 filled with orange liquid. 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 Ms 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 Ms 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 any more. She got some students dancing to the laptop and speakers and it spiralled out of control.' No remorse Ms 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. The disciplinary panel said Ashton had shown no remorse or apology. It was proven that she appeared under the influence and/or smelled of alcohol whilst at work. She was struck off the teaching register indefinitely but may reapply in two years.
Metro
03-07-2025
- Metro
Teacher drank alcohol in class and got pupils to do the Macarena, tribunal told
A teacher has been banned from classrooms in Wales after a tribunal heard she got drunk in class and started swearing at pupils during a lesson that turned into a 'mini rave'. Alice Ashton, who taught at Ysgol Bro Caereinion near Welshpool, Powys, swigged alcohol from an Evian bottle in class on January 17 last year, a panel heard. The lesson 'spiralled out of control' and turned into a 'mini rave, with loud music, shouting and dancing', a fitness to practice tribunal was told. One 16-year-old told the hearing Ashton also swore, calling the whole class 'little s**ts'. The Education Workforce Council panel heard the lesson took place just four months after Ashton had been convicted of drink driving. She was described as 'smiley and happy' before she started to become 'agitated'. Giving evidence in person, a 16 year-old schoolgirl said Ashton drank orange liquid which smelled of alcohol while playing music from her laptop. The student, referred to as Pupil H, said fellow classmates discussed afterwards how odd the teacher's behaviour had been. She said Ashton had taught her 'boring' PSE numerous times before and were usually about alcohol and drug awareness but not on 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 filled with orange liquid. 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 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 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.' Ashton did not attend the hearing or respond to the allegations. The panel 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 Ashton had told an internal school inquiry that she did not swear or sing to the class. More Trending 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.' It was found proven that she appeared under the influence and/or smelt of alcohol whilst at work. She was struck off the teaching register indefinitely but may reapply in two years. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Dad stabbed yards from school before 'dying in a pizza shop worker's arms' named MORE: Energy price cap comes down with average household saving £11 a month MORE: Why 'big hairy' Welsh miners led London Pride in 1985
