Head teacher Jeremy Morgan banned after altering pupils SATS papers

St John’s RC Primary School

Jeremy Morgan has been banned from the classroom after being found to have altered children's SATS papers.

The 62-year-old former head of St John’s RC Primary School admitted doctoring Year 6 papers in 2014, which led to a group of pupil's results being thrown out and nulled.

Morgan initially denied doctoring the papers but later admitted it before appearing at a disciplinary hearing.

At the hearing, a statement read to the panel said that Morgan must have acted on impulse by making “frenzied” changes to his pupils’ answers, which he said himself were an attempt to protect the school from an up and coming Ofsted inspection.

Cabinet Member for Schools, Councillor Lynne Brosnan said: “This was a very silly thing to do, not just for him and his career but for the children. We are talking about a child’s future here.

“I don’t know this man and I don’t know what kind of teacher he was, perhaps he panicked and acted under stress, but it was a silly move and it is sad to hear about these pupils SATS results.”

A report of the hearing said: “In the panel’s view, it would have taken some time for Mr Morgan to go through the papers, check children’s answers and make the significant number of amendments that he did.”

Michael Unsworth, current headteacher at St John’s RC Primary School, said: “The school has been under new headship since June 2014 and we consider the matter to now be closed.”