Former Ysgol Bro Caereinion teacher Alice Ashton, from near Welshpool, Powys, has ignited a storm. She had already received a conviction for drink-driving and has more recently been accused of misconduct for an incident involving inappropriate behavior during a lesson. The case has since exposed striking and serious questions regarding her behavior and fitness to serve in the classroom.
As recently as September 2023, Ashton was convicted at Telford Magistrates’ Court for drink-driving. He was arrested for being over the legal limit on 19 August 2023. The judge sentenced her to a 12-month Community Order composed of 200 hours of Community Unpaid Work. She was given a 28-month disqualification from driving. This ruling underscores the egregiousness of her crime.
An email from a concerned parent about Ashton’s behavior on 17 January 2024 during a PSE lesson. That forced an investigation into her alleged shuttle diplomacy between the departments. This one drug/alcohol awareness lesson However, things took a much more concerning turn when pupil H highlighted that, on occasion, Ashton smelt of alcohol and behaved as though she was intoxicated.
Pupil H described that Ashton not only looked under the influence, but was using vulgar language, including swearing at kids in a lesson on profanity. Ashton apologized for the remarks but denied using any profanity. She didn’t do a good job at all answering for her aggressive behavior, like getting in a pupil’s face and snapping at students.
After the parent’s complaint, Ysgol Bro Caereinion decided to look at the classroom’s CCTV footage. On 19 February 2024, the school commissioned an independent investigation led by Lorna Simpson to investigate deeper into the allegations against Ashton. The video showed Ashton trying to shake it like a salt shaker with kids during the class—a level of salaciousness considered “inappropriate” for the situation.
The Education Workforce Council (EWC) panel then met to review the allegations brought against Ashton. These wrote most proving. This involved establishing the fact that she was drunk during the instruction and breached the EWC’s code of conduct. The panel’s findings have raised significant concerns regarding Ashton’s professional judgment and ability to maintain a safe learning environment for her students.
The reach of this case’s implications go beyond Ashton’s particular situation. It powerfully highlights just how important teacher behavior is in schools. It describes the steps taken to keep students safe from predatory conduct. The school has expressed its commitment to ensuring a safe educational atmosphere and will likely reassess its policies regarding staff conduct and oversight.
