Teacher, 38, who turned up to school so drunk she couldn’t WALK is banned from classroom
A PRIMARY school teacher who turned up to assembly so drunk she could barely walk has been banned from the classroom.
Ashley Atkin was “dazed and staggering” as she failed to present an award to a pupil at Horn’s Mill Primary in Helsby, Cheshire.
Her stunned colleagues also noticed the 38-year-old smelled strongly of booze.
The Year 1 teacher, who had only been with the school a month, arrived at the assembly with her students.
Eyebrows were initially raised when she sat away from the group instead of leading them to their allocated area.
She was then unable to get up and present the star-of-the-week pupil with their Big Cheese prize – asking another teacher instead.
An investigation was launched by The Teaching Regulation Agency, after the incident in October 2023, who found Atkin had been drunk on school property.
This came just months after Atkin was banned from driving, for being caught over the legal limit twice, in July 2023.
Police had noticed her driving on the wrong side of the road and failing to slow down while navigating bends.
One colleague told a teaching disciplinary hearing: “When [Ms Atkin] stood to take to children in [to the assembly] she seemed to have trouble with her dress round her feet and was unsteady.
“She moved slowly and gingerly.”
Atkin admitted to drinking a bottle of white whine and an extra glass in the early hours of the morning before going to school.
Fellow teachers reported there was a “strong” and “pungent” smell “distinctive of drinking” from the 38-year-old, in a meeting after the assembly ordeal.
They claimed the aroma hung in the air after she was escorted out to be driven home.
Atkin left her job before the investigation had been concluded.
But a professional conduct panel agreed her ability to teach had been significantly impaired by alcohol.
Atkin, from Frodsham, Cheshire, was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.
She was banned indefinitely from classrooms in England and Wales.
Panel chair Melissa West said: “Ms Atkin was teaching on 20 October 2023; she went to work, on her evidence, having drunk a bottle and a glass of wine during the early hours of the morning.
“She was seen to be staggering in the school, her eyes were glazed, and she appeared drunk.
“Ms Atkin was unprepared to start the school day and unable to lead her class in the assembly to be seated. She was deemed by a witness not to be in a fit state to work and was escorted home.”
Mrs West added: “The panel was satisfied that the conduct of Ms Atkin fell significantly short of the standard of behaviour expected of a teacher in that she presented at work after consuming alcohol and smelling of alcohol and for safeguarding reasons could not be left in charge of her class for the day.”
Atkin failed to show up to the hearing but had earlier submitted a statement in which she said: “I’m absolutely devastated about what happened and it’s all I can think about.
“I was going through such a difficult time at that point. Since then I am in a much better place.”
A colleague had described Atkin as a “passionate teacher” who “has the ingredients to be a good teacher”.
Signing off on the ban on behalf of education secretary Bridget Phillipson, civil servant Marc Cavey said: “In my judgement, the lack of evidence that Ms Atkin has developed full insight into and remorse for her actions means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this jeopardises the future wellbeing of pupils.”
Atkin cannot reapply to the profession for two years and has 28 days to appeal the ruling.