A teacher has been banned from the profession after turning up drunk twice in one week at a Leicestershire college, just eight days into his role. Christopher Small, 35, was dismissed from Charnwood College in Loughborough in September 2023 after colleagues and pupils reported his erratic behaviour.
On 5 September 2023, during a pastoral staff meeting, colleagues spotted Small drinking a clear liquid from a Lucozade bottle, which they suspected was vodka. The following day, he arrived at the college while pupils were present, appearing 'unintelligible and unsteady', dancing, waving his arms, and holding himself up against walls. Pupils asked staff: 'Is he drunk?'
A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel found that Small was under the influence of alcohol on both days. It also emerged that he had lied during his job interview about a previous drink-driving conviction. He had been convicted at Leicester Magistrates' Court in March 2019 but told interviewers the incident 'did not lead to conviction'.
The panel heard that Small had a history of alcohol problems. In July 2023, while working at Nicholas Chamberlaine School in Bedworth, he attended a residential school trip where he was seen slurring his words and struggling to eat. He later locked himself in his room, leaving eight pupils unattended, and ran around the grounds when a colleague tried to collect him after midnight.
Just 17 days after his sacking, on 23 September 2023, Small was convicted of drink-driving for a second time. He was found to have 70 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath—twice the legal limit—and was disqualified from driving for 36 months.
The TRA panel found Small guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. He has been prohibited from teaching indefinitely in England, with a review possible from November 2029.
