Ngaio Trueman, a 51-year-old teacher at St Mary's Church of England Primary School in Gloucestershire, has been banned from teaching for at least two years after arriving at work under the influence of alcohol. She was almost four times over the legal drink-drive limit when she drove to the school on July 11, 2024.
Incident Details
Trueman arrived late and parked in a disabled parking space. The deputy headteacher noticed something was wrong and observed that Trueman was unsteady on her feet, had glazed eyes, and smelled strongly of alcohol. She tripped over a threshold, mumbled, and appeared distracted. When confronted, she denied drinking but admitted driving to school.
A colleague followed her outside as she greeted parents and children, noting she was swaying and looked vacant. The colleague called her name twice but was ignored. Police were called and administered a breathalyser test, which showed Trueman was significantly over the limit. She was arrested and later convicted at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court on July 30, 2024.
Legal Consequences
Trueman received a community order with an alcohol treatment requirement for six months and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 10 days. She was banned from driving for 30 months, with a reduction possible upon completing an approved course, and fined £615. The incident occurred during a busy drop-off time, putting pupils, parents, and staff at risk.
At the Teaching Regulation Agency hearing, panel chair Chloe Nash stated: "The panel considered that the level by which Ms Trueman had exceeded the prescribed alcohol limit, having been found to be almost four times over the legal driving limit for alcohol when arriving at school, meant that her conduct met the threshold of a serious driving offence."
Professional Misconduct
The panel found Trueman was under the influence of alcohol on school premises during school hours while responsible for pupils' wellbeing. They were particularly concerned that she was unsteady on her feet and swaying, which could have placed pupils at unnecessary risk. David Oatley, representing the Education Secretary, said: "In light of the panel's findings against Ms Trueman, which involved arriving at school under the influence of alcohol, placing pupils at risk of harm, and being convicted of an alcohol related driving offence, there was a strong public interest consideration in respect of the safeguarding and wellbeing of pupils."
Trueman was struck off from teaching, with a review possible after two years.
