A primary school teacher has been indefinitely banned from teaching after turning up to work drunk - and swigging from a bottle in her CLASSROOM.
Jacquelyn Morris, 41, appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and smelled of booze on a number of occasions in 2013 and 2014, a conduct panel heard.
A senior colleague tried to help her, but she denied she had a problem and continued to appear to be drunk at work and slurring her words, a report said.
But she was immediately suspended in December last year when she was spotted in her classroom one morning drinking out of a bottle in her bag which contained alcohol.
The former deputy head at St James’ & Ebrington C of E Primary in Chipping Campden, Glos., resigned but was hauled in front of a professional conduct hearing.
The panel from the National College for Teaching and Leadership banned Morris from teaching anywhere in England.
The panel’s judgement read: “On many of these occasions her condition and demeanour caused other members of staff to be concerned about her fitness.
“On 1 December 2014 she was observed in the classroom, in the morning, to drink out of a bottle in her bag which, on investigation, was found to contain alcohol.
“That incident led to her suspension from her teaching duties and, ultimately, her resignation from the school.
“Ms Morris has admitted the allegation and the particulars and accepts that this is a case of unacceptable professional conduct/conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.”
Morris, from Coventry, had been a teacher at the school since 2001, and had worked as acting deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher and then deputy headteacher.
But the panel heard that in 2013 she started turning up to work drunk and smellingof booze, and her Cotswolds’ school head teacher tried to help her.
Morris - who resigned as deputy and went back to being a classroom teacher - was referred to the occupational health team, but seemed to be in denial over her drinking, the panel heard.
The panel said her behaviour was “a serious departure from the personal and professional conduct elements of the Teacher’s Standards”.
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