A teaching assistant has been barred from the classroom after being caught on a drink and drugs bender shortly after leaving work. Jessica Picton, 33, was stopped by police at 4.45pm on December 11, 2023, less than two hours after finishing her shift at Clase Primary School in Swansea at 3.10pm. Officers found she had been driving under the influence of cocaine, alcohol, and cannabis.
Picton, who worked with pupils with additional educational needs, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of controlled drugs and alcohol at West Glamorgan Magistrates Court on June 14, 2024. She was given a curfew, an electronic tag, a 17-month driving ban, and a community order.
Now, the Education Workforce Council Wales (EWC) fitness to practise committee has barred Picton from teaching. The committee found she had carried out unacceptable professional conduct, with the chair saying she had shown 'reckless disregard' for the EWC professional code. It added that her actions 'fell far below' the standards expected from teaching staff.
The committee also heard that Picton did not engage with the proceedings and had not shown any insight, remorse, or regret. There was a risk that the behaviour would be repeated in future. Sharon Hope, the headteacher at Clase Primary at the time, said Picton had failed to inform the school of her arrest. Ms Hope became concerned that Picton might have been under the influence of drugs at work, though there was no evidence of this.
Ms Hope said: 'There was no evidence she was intoxicated in work but there was such a small gap that it was possible she had been in work under the influence of drugs. I asked her if she had anything she wanted to tell me. She replied 'anything in particular?'. I was taken aback.' She added: 'I asked Jessica Picton if she had taken cocaine to which she replied 'not knowingly'. There was a lack of transparency.'
The hearing was told that before the incident, Picton had an unblemished record at the school, where she had worked since 2012. She had been kind to the children, hardworking, and liked by colleagues. There had never been any concerns about her prior to her arrest.
