A former deputy headteacher who failed to plan lessons or mark children’s workbooks has been found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct by England’s General Teaching Council.
Mark Kingston, who worked at Bursar primary in Cleethorpes, north Lincolnshire, was given a conditional registration order, banning him from holding managerial positions for two years.
The GTC heard that more than 1,500 unmarked scripts were discovered after he left the school in August 2003 and that he consistently failed to carry out duties required of him.
These included giving sufficient support to staff, writing literacy and maths plans and monitoring assessment. He also rarely set homework or marked workbooks for his Year 6 class, failed to organise action plans for children with special needs and had poor technology skills.
Mr Kingston resigned as deputy head on March 31, 2003, but said he would continue teaching his Year 6 class at Bursar primary. However, he was ill for all but 10 days of the summer term.
In August he told Mrs Holbrook he would not be coming back and resigned. He did not attend last week’s GTC hearing.
Lindi Holbrook, headteacher, said Mr Kingston’s standards often slipped below those of a newly-qualified teacher: “When tasks were set for him he never completed them.” Mrs Holbrook said she had offered help to her deputy but no progress was made.
It was told Mr Kingston failed to sign forms for a joint bank account and did not complete a register when an educational welfare officer visited.
It heard his classroom was untidy and that he had failed to differentiate between more and less able children.
But Mrs Holbrook, who found more than 1,500 unmarked scripts when she looked through Mr Kingston’s files after his departure, said he had been well-liked.
She said: “The children liked him, he was charming with the parents; the problem was simply delivery.”
The GTC was told Mr Kingston took 10 days off in his first two terms, failed to provide cover on a number of occasions and often began work late and left early. He blacked out while driving his car to work on the first day of the summer term and missed the rest of the final term with the exception of the last 10 days. The cause of his illness was unknown.
Sarah Bowie, chair of the GTC panel, said: “Mr Kingston’s failure to mark children’s work and complete other tasks set him had a serious effect on the school.”
Mr Kingston can continue teaching but must report to the GTC once a term for six terms showing evidence of improvement in planning, managing staff, meeting deadlines, monitoring assessment and IT skills.