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.
Oxford Stand Up To Racism has accused Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, of inciting the ‘awful violent scenes’ in Southampton on Tuesday night (June 2).
The city where 18-year-old Henry Nowak died and where his killer, Vickrum Digwa, lived became a scene of destruction after hundreds descended to smash car windows, hurl bricks and cause eleven officers and a police dog to be injured.
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Following the disorder, the chief of Hampshire police said those involved were ‘determined to spark fear and division’.
Yaxley-Lennon, who has been jailed multiple times for a variety of offences including when he was imprisoned in October 2024 for contempt of caught, addressed the crowd at the riot.
He said: “I heard someone say this wasn’t about race, this is about race.
“A white boy who done nothing was handcuffed, a murderer in possession of a knife who stabbed someone five times isn’t.”
Oxford Stand Up to Racism is now renewing its call for the Oxford Union to withdraw its invitation for the ‘riot agitator’ to speak on June 17 on the subject of Islam.
He was originally due to speak at the historic debating society on Thursday, May 28 before his appearance was postponed over security concerns and after massive backlash.
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Ian McKendrick, a member of the anti-racism group, said: “Despite Henry Nowak’s family clearly requesting that his death should not be used to promote further hatred, Robinson was at the centre of protests in Southampton last night and clearly inciting violence.
“Giving him a televised platform at the Oxford Union legitimises hate and violence, and gives him the opportunity to incite violence to an audience of millions.
“It does not promote free speech – instead, it promotes fear and intimidation among minoritised communities.
“Already we have seen Oxford fascists alongside Robinson in Southampton and now mobilising to bring more hate onto Oxford’s streets.”
Members of Raise the Colours: Oxfordshire were called to attend the Southampton protest on Tuesday night, with the leader of the group posting on Facebook to ask followers to join the ‘justice for Henry Nowak’ protest.
Mr McKendrick added: “There is a concerted effort by far right leaders and fascist groups to incite outrage and bring people on to the streets to riot.
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“We risk an explosion of violence similar to what we saw around the Southport murders across the UK.
“We’re calling on Oxford to say a clear ‘no’ to this hate and division by protesting against Yaxley-Lennon’s appearance at the Oxford Union.”
Faith and civic leaders of Oxford already wrote to the Oxford Union asking it to rescind the controversial figure’s invitation, and hundreds have signed an open letter calling for the same.
A reported incident at a junction in Witney is causing traffic chaos in the town, with drivers coming off the A40 and elsewhere stuck in long queues.
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An incident occurred in St Aldate’s, outside the entrance to Christ Church Meadows, at about 4pm on Tuesday, June 2.
At least three ambulances were responding to what appeared to be a medical emergency on the pavement.
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An individual was scene on a stretcher being cared for by paramedics.
An eyewitness said the incident occurred opposite the Alice Shop, and the medical teams ‘evacuated’ the person.
Apart from the pavement briefly being blocked while the first responders dealt with the emergency, it did not appear to affect traffic or block the road in busy St Aldate’s.
South Central Ambulance Service has been contacted for comment.
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