A General Teaching Council disciplinary hearing heard that Ian Byng provided inappropriate guidance to pupils at Menston primary in Ilkley, in a test on May 13, 2004.

Mr Byng is also accused of failing to administer the paper in accordance with guidelines, in particular making inappropriate use of it before and during the tests. He is also accused of failing to adhere to strict test timings for both the total time and appropriate time prompts and failing to give instructions to pupils.

Sheleen McCormick, presenting officer, told the hearing in Birmingham that she believed Mr Byng who was the school’s KS2 manager, deliberately breached invigilation rules.

Louise Ford, one of four assistants who acted as readers in the test told the hearing Mr Byng had “wandered among the pupils during the examination making comments to some of them”.

Mrs Ford said he had spoken to pupils saying: “That’s right, well done”, “No, there is more than that”, and “We did that in class”.

She also claimed that she heard him say “No, it’s a division not a take away” to another pupil.

After the test she and the other teaching assistants told senior school staff about his behaviour. The exam for Year 6 pupils was declared void in June 2004.

Mr Byng resigned in August, 2004 and did not attend the hearing, which was adjourned.