Crime & Safety
Oxford teacher who fiddled grades wants banning order ended
Anne Vendy, who was head of geography at Wheatley Park School near Oxford, was banned from teaching in 2014 for submitting marks for GCSE coursework that “bore no resemblance to the work itself”.
She was 35 years old at the time and was sacked from Wheatley Park School after submitting three missing 2012 marks in March 2013, sparking a school investigation.
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She had joined the school in September 2004 and was made head of geography in September 2010.
A National College for Teaching and Leadership professional conduct panel in 2014 found Ms Vendy also let students take home work which was meant to be completed under controlled conditions.
Over a decade on, a professional misconduct panel will, on April 28, consider an application to set aside Ms Vendy’s prohibition order.
In 2014, a report into the panel’s findings said: “Mrs Vendy’s behaviour involved sustained and repeated dishonesty.”
She admitted nine of the allegations including letting pupils take controlled assessment work home but indicated she “did not expressly” allow this.
She also admitted submitting controlled assessment marks for six pupils “which did not reflect the marks the work deserved”.
One pupil said she had the work at home when the grades were submitted meaning Mrs Vendy “could not feasibly have marked the work”.
An unidentified witness said the mark for another “bore no resemblance to the work itself” and deserved 15, not the 28 marks given.
The panel also heard how work presented from “student B” was identical to “student A”, who were not friends and gave statements they had not copied each other.
Mrs Vendy admitted accusing student B of cheating and said they were now “in a lot of trouble because [Vendy] had helped Student B”.
The report said: “The conduct of Mrs Vendy fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession.”
It said Mrs Vendy – who was not represented at the hearing – showed unacceptable professional conduct and urged a ban with possible review.
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The secretary of state for education’s office said of the ban: “Three years would allow time to develop and demonstrate insight and remorse for her actions.”
Headteacher of Wheatley at the time, Kate Curtis, said: “The headteacher and governors scrutinised this case in great detail and we are pleased that as a result of vigilance in the school, the issues raised in the panel were addressed without any student’s GCSE results being affected.”
The pupils’ work had to be remarked and resubmitted but did not affect their final grades.
Former Spice Girl Lady Victoria and her husband, former England footballer Sir David Beckham, have lived in Oxfordshire for around a decade.
The couple, who have a Cotswolds mansion in Great Tew near Chipping Norton, have been embroiled in a public family feud for some time now.
In January, this came to a head as their eldest son, Brooklyn, made explosive allegations in a lengthy Instagram post.
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He claimed that his mother “hijacked” his first dance with his wife, Nicola Peltz, and danced “inappropriately on me” in front of their guests, adding that he had never felt more “uncomfortable or humiliated” in his life.
And he also alleged that his wife had been “disrespected” by his family and was not invited to his father’s 50th birthday party.
Now, Brooklyn Beckham has failed to wish his mother a happy birthday today (Friday, April 17) as the fashion icon turns 52 years old.
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Other members of the family, including Sir David and son Romeo, as well as her youngest son Cruz’s girlfriend, Jackie Apostel, all posted well-wishes to the matriarch across social media.
Brooklyn instead uploaded an Instagram video of him preparing “sweet jalapeño salmon with arugula walnut salad”.
His wife, Nicola Peltz, whom he married in 2022, also made no post regarding her mother-in-law’s birthday.
Jimi Monaghan, of John Jones Close, Abingdon, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on April 17.
The 22-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage and one count of being in possession of a class B drug, namely cannabis, in Abingdon on September 5 last year.
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The court heard he had been on remand for one month after he was initially charged with more serious offences, but these were discontinued.
Judge Hassan Khan said: “You broke glass at the property and found your way inside. You were on remand for a month for more serious offences which were discontinued.”
Monaghan was given a 12-month conditional discharge. He was also ordered to pay £150 in costs and an order was made for the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and a grinder.
The presenter is known for starring as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent as well as hosting other shows, such as Cheat: Unfinished Business.
A household name across the UK, she owns a four-bedroom thatched cottage near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire.
The 55-year-old shares two daughters, 20-year-old Lexi and 14-year-old Hollie, with her husband Chris Hughes.
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Now, Ms Holden has joked that she now wants to relocate to Miami after returning from a family break in the US.
The 55-year-old made the tongue-in-cheek remark on her Heart radio breakfast show.
Speaking to co-host Jamie Theakston on air, Amanda said her affection for Miami had left her wondering whether she should swap the UK for the Sunshine State.
“I’m in love with that part of America. I want to move. Do you think we could do Heart live from Miami?” she joked.
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In recent weeks, she has also been posting photos from the Miami trip on social media, giving followers a glimpse of her time away with her family.
Her trip comes at a time when many holidaymakers are weighing up where to spend their time off, with the conflict in the Middle East prompting some to rethink travel plans and budgets in light of rising costs.
As a result, destinations such as the United States – and particularly Florida’s coastline – are becoming an attractive alternative for some tourists.
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