Paul Price, a design and technology teacher at Leasowes High School in Halesowen, left pupils unsupervised with access to saws and a sanding machine to secretly vape in a storeroom during a panic attack. The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) professional conduct panel found his actions amounted to misconduct but decided against a prohibition order, allowing him to keep his job.
Incident Details
On January 25, 2024, Price left his classroom during a practical woodwork lesson and went into the metalwork storeroom, where he used an e-cigarette. A colleague, referred to as Individual A, found him crouched in the storeroom with a guilty look and smelling of vape vapour. The colleague reported that the tool cupboard was open, containing 48 saws, two mallets, and other sharp tools, and that pupils were using a sanding machine and hand tools unsupervised.
Price admitted to the panel that he left pupils unsupervised for approximately 30 seconds, stating he felt a panic attack coming and thought vaping would provide instant stress relief. He was experiencing personal difficulties at home and was under significant stress.
Panel Findings
The panel found that Price breached teaching standards by prioritising his personal needs over safeguarding responsibilities. Although no pupil was harmed, the panel concluded that a risk of harm was created due to the unsupervised access to machinery and tools. The report noted that tools such as saws could have been misused as weapons.
Price was suspended from duty on January 29, 2024, following an initial fact-finding meeting, and later dismissed after a disciplinary hearing. The matter was referred to the TRA in July 2024.
Decision Against Prohibition Order
Despite the misconduct, the panel decided not to issue a prohibition order. Decision maker Stuart Blomfield stated: "I have concluded that a prohibition order is not proportionate or in the public interest. I consider that the publication of the findings made would be sufficient to send an appropriate message to the teacher as to the standards of behaviour that were not acceptable."
The panel accepted that the incident was out of character and a first during Price's 12-year teaching career. He had not returned to teaching since the incident and had spent significant time reflecting and taking action.
Impact and Reflection
Price expressed deep remorse, acknowledging that he put pupils at risk of harm by leaving them unattended. He accepted that he should have sought help sooner if he was struggling and that he breached the school's no-smoking policy. The panel heard that Price had been experiencing significant personal pressures, including stressful life events, creating a "melting pot of stressors."
Individual A, who discovered Price, told him it was not acceptable to leave class during a lesson with a child working on a machine and that children had access to saws and sharp implements. Price apologised, saying he had been struggling and would not do it again.
