Teacher keeps her job after turning up to work under the influence of alcohol twice

A teacher has been found guilty of serious misconduct after attending school whilst under the influence of alcohol on two separate occasions.

Natalie Kelly, who had been employed at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Engineering College in Skelmersdale since 2015, faced allegations relating to incidents in 2023 and 2024.

During the latter occasion, on June 20 2024, she was also accused of bringing alcohol onto the school premises during working hours.

The Teaching Regulation Authority hearing was told that difficult personal circumstances had played a role in Ms Kelly's drinking.

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Despite the guilty finding, she was not issued with a prohibition order, with David Oatley, representing the Secretary of State, determining that such a measure would be neither proportionate nor in the public interest.

During the first incident on December 13, 2023, Ms Kelly arrived slightly late to a departmental meeting, bumping into a table as she rushed in.

She spilt her tea twice and appeared "a little erratic," according to witnesses.

A fellow English teacher who followed her into the bathroom reported detecting the smell of alcohol and found Ms Kelly crying.

"She responded that it seemed to be fresh," the witness said when asked about the nature of the smell.

Ms Kelly acknowledged having consumed roughly one and a half glasses of wine that morning after receiving distressing personal news the previous day.

She maintained, however, that she had not been impaired to the point of misconduct, noting she had completed yard duty and delivered four lessons without anyone raising concerns before the meeting.

The second incident claimed that Ms Kelly approached a colleague complaining of feeling terrible and having a headache, but it quickly became apparent she was intoxicated, with the smell of alcohol noticeable on her.

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The witness described Ms Kelly as uncoordinated, knocking items over, appearing drowsy and struggling to operate her phone. A partly consumed bottle of vodka and an unopened bottle of wine were also observed in her bag.

Ms Kelly had to be driven home by a colleague.

She candidly admitted having drunk heavily the previous evening, leaving her "really intoxicated" the following morning, and acknowledged also consuming wine before school.

The panel found no direct evidence that she had drunk alcohol on the school premises.

The panel determined that Ms Kelly's conduct constituted serious misconduct that "fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession," noting she held a position of trust and responsibility with a duty to serve as a role model.

However, the panel recognised that Ms Kelly was highly regarded as a teacher and had since developed genuine insight into the risks her behaviour had posed.

Her rehabilitation was supported by robust and sustained support structures now firmly in place.

Although Ms Kelly said she had no intention of returning to the classroom, the panel concluded she would make a valuable contribution to the profession should she reconsider.

David Oatley, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, determined that imposing a prohibition order would not be proportionate.

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