A maths teacher who fabricated stories about serving in the Australian army and being shot in a war zone has been indefinitely banned from the profession. Alexandra Slay, who taught at Epsom and Ewell High School in Surrey, engaged in deeply inappropriate conduct with pupils between 2020 and 2023.
Inappropriate Communications
Ms Slay sent thousands of emails and handwritten letters to pupils, and also gave out her personal phone number. In some of the messages, she claimed to have been shot in a war zone and severely injured. The communications were deemed to encourage secrecy and discussed personal and intimate matters.
Professional Conduct Panel Findings
A professional conduct panel found that Ms Slay had significantly breached boundaries, leading to an inappropriate teacher-pupil relationship. The panel described her actions as unprofessional and deeply inappropriate.
As a result, Ms Slay has been banned from teaching indefinitely and cannot apply to return to the classroom until April 2028. The case highlights the importance of maintaining professional boundaries between teachers and pupils.
