Pennywell School teacher reprimanded over trip funds

Jul 10 2009 by Nicola Juncar, The Journal

A NORTH East teacher has been given a ticking off after being found guilty of keeping funds for a school trip at home.

Linda Brown, who used to work for Pennywell School, which is now part of Academy 360, in Sunderland, was up before the General Teaching Council yesterday.

The conduct committee found her guilty of unacceptable professional conduct after she admitted keeping an unknown amount of money, which had been collected from families to pay for a school trip to the States.

Mrs Brown, who has been a teacher for 26 years, kept the “significant sum” of money at her home between October 2004 and December 2006. She was given a reprimand, which will stay on her record for two years. However, she has not been suspended and is free to teach.

The conduct committee said a teaching ban was not required, due to a number of mitigating circumstances. These were:

:: Mrs Brown was not the original trip organiser and she took over the arrangements put in place by her predecessor in the summer of 2004.

:: The school did not have a robust accounting system in place with the necessary checks and it was not until September 2005 that it began to make enquiries.