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.

Wheatley Park School (Image: NQ)

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”.

Head of Wheatley Park School Kate Curtis with students in 2013 (Image: Richard Cave)

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”.

Kate Curtis, headteacher of Wheatley Park School in 2013 (Image: NQ)

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.