Colin Laughton, an assistant head teacher at Hebburn Comprehensive in South Tyneside, has been banned from teaching after admitting to awarding false marks for coursework. The Teaching Regulatory Agency imposed the indefinite ban following a disciplinary hearing.
Between May and July 2019, Laughton, who was head of ICT, gave false marks for internally-assessed coursework components. In one instance, he awarded a pupil 34 marks when she had not completed the work and should have received approximately 14 marks.
The panel heard that when the exam board requested a pupil's work for moderation, Laughton submitted another pupil's work instead. He admitted to the misconduct, stating, 'there is no-one else to blame but me'.
The panel found Laughton guilty of unacceptable professional conduct, describing his actions as 'deliberate and dishonest'. He may apply for the ban to be reviewed after a minimum of two years.
