TWO teachers at a school in Taunton have been banned after they previously prepared food that was used in students’ assessments to improve their grades.

Castle School’s teachers Jenna Beale and Amanda McGuinness were accused of previously prepared food to be used/brought/made to enhance the pupils’ assessments during a Non-Exam Assessment (NEA) in the 2018/2019 academic year.

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel considered the allegations set out in the Notice of Proceedings dated 12 January 2024 against Miss Beale and Mrs McGuinness last month.

It was alleged that Miss Beale was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, in that:

1. During the 2018/2019 academic year in respect of the Food NEA she caused and/or permitted and/or failed to prevent the following:

a. Previously prepared food to be used/brought/made to enhance the pupils’ assessments;

b. Altering/amending/adding/re-presenting Pupil A and/or Pupil B’s work;

c. Amending one or more pupils’ mark sheets to reflect alterations made to their work by her and/or her colleague(s);

d. Amending one or more pupils’ time sheets to reflect the alterations made to their work by her and/or her colleague(s);

2. Instructed Colleague A to amend pupils’ marks for the 2017/18 Food NEA; 

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) document read that “her conduct as may be found proven at Allegation 1 above lacked integrity and/or was dishonest in that she sought to assist pupils in obtaining marks higher than their own work merited.

“Witness A told the panel that in her first year at the chool, [REDACTED] asked her to assist a pupil with an afternoon tea assignment and make their food “look nice” or “look like this” as they “need to get an A”.

“Witness B’s oral evidence was that if a pupil was making a dish that required a culture, for example a sourdough culture, she was asked to prepare this in advance, and she had challenged Miss Beale about this.”

The document also read: “This means that Miss Jenna Beale is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.”

It was alleged that Mrs McGuinness was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, in that:

1. During the 2018/2019 academic year in respect of the Food NEA she caused and/or permitted and/or failed to prevent the following:

a. Previously prepared food to be used/brought/made to enhance the pupils’ assessments;

b. Altering/amending/adding/re-presenting Pupil A and/or Pupil B’s work;

c. Amending one or more pupils’ mark sheets to reflect alterations made to their work by her and/or her colleague(s);

d. Amending one or more pupils’ time sheets to reflect the alterations made to their work by her and/or her colleague(s).

The TRA document read: “Witness A told the panel that in her first year at the school, Mrs McGuinness asked her to assist a pupil with an afternoon tea assignment and make their food “look nice” or “look like this” as they “need to get an A”.

“Mrs McGuinness informed Witness A that it was her role to help the pupil make the food look “nice”.

“In her statement, witness A stated that Mrs McGuinness would always bring in things from home to add to pupils’ work for assessments.

“In her oral evidence, she informed the panel that Mrs McGuinness had made and brought in ginger biscuits and [REDACTED] had made tiny meringues and chocolate decorations, some of which would demonstrate a high level of skill within the assessment criteria.

“Witness A could recall that she was asked to make naan breads on behalf of pupils. Mrs McGuinness had told her to make batches of meringues or naan breads in case they were needed.”

The document also read: “Mrs Amanda McGuinness is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.”