A primary teacher has been told that she will have to retrain before being allowed to teach again after being found guilty of serious professional incompetence.
Suzanne Rose received a conditional registration order from England’s General Teaching Council during a competence hearing in Birmingham last week.
It ruled that the former teacher at Hordle Church of England primary in Lymington, Hampshire, had failed to maintain an acceptable level of teaching and learning for two years up to May 2005.
The GTC heard that she failed to motivate pupils, that the pace of her lessons was too slow, and that her behaviour management was inadequate.
Bradley Albuery, presenting officer, said that no school could have done more to help Ms Rose, who qualified in 1999 and became a Year 1 teacher at the 300-pupil primary in September 2002.
“A day taught by an incompetent teacher is a day’s learning lost, satisfactory teaching is a minimum requirement, the children only get one chance,” he said.
The hearing was told that Ms Rose was observed more than 25 times by Tina Bunting, the school’s head, and that she was offered assistance and support from a mentor.
But Ms Rose said she was unhappy at the level of support she received from the school and that she was under too much pressure.
“A lot of the support was general rather than focusing on my specific needs. I was improving all the time but every time one target was achieved another one was set. There was too much pressure.”
John Seldon, from the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, who represented Ms Rose, said: “The pressure contributed to a decline in confidence and had a negative effect.
“We all stumble and fall,” he added.
Ms Rose was deemed unfit to teach by the school and placed in a learning support role in April 2005. Her contract was terminated a month later.
Angela Stones, who chaired the hearing, said: “Ms Rose’s level of competence fell seriously short of that expected from a registered teacher.
Improvements were limited and not sustained.”
Ms Rose has been working at a health centre in Lingwell, Hampshire, as she did not feel it was fair to continue teaching with a competence hearing hanging over her.
The conditional registration order will be removed if she completes a refresher course or satisfactory evidence of retraining is provided.
* newsdesk@tes.co.uk
