The teacher lied because he was “horrified” by what he had done

A high school science teacher has admitted to giving a student exam answers to help him cheat.

When a boy known only as Pupil A sat his physics, biology and chemistry exams in March 2021, teacher Adam Lowery gave the Year 11 pupil the answers in advance, a regulatory agency was told yesterday (Monday). teachers (TRA). Mr Lowery, a former professional judo athlete, admitted allegations relating to his conduct while working at Rainford High School three years ago.

Jonathan Storey, for the teacher, told a three-person panel that Mr Lowery accepted his actions had “given an unfair advantage” to pupil A in exams that would count towards his final GCSE grades.

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The hearing was told that Mr Lowery, a former assistant headteacher at another school, had been employed at Rainford since September 2019. In March 2021, pupil A sat three internal exams which were intended to inform his final GCSE grades in cause of official testing. postponed due to covid-19.

Before that, Mr. Lowery gave him exam questions and the marking scheme. The teacher would also supervise student A for the physics exam on 31 March 2021.

Concerns were first raised by three teachers, independently, who identified Pupil A’s exam grades as ‘extraordinarily high’ and responses were similar to those in documents made available to staff. Richard Spedding, the school’s head of physics, brought the matter to the management’s attention.

Student A was interviewed who said he got the grades “through hard work” before backing out and claiming he got the answers online. Mr Lowery was also interviewed on the same day and said he trained all students in the same way but created the online training for Student A.

It later transpired that Mr Lowery had in fact given Student A a packet and told him how to answer the questions. The former teacher – who resigned in May 2021 – was said to have initially lied because he was “horrified” by the situation. Student A’s results on the three tests were ultimately ignored for his final GCSE grade.

When asked by Mr Storey, Mr Lowery said he felt he had let the community and the school down by his behavior in a “moment of madness and stupidity”. He added: “Not a moment goes by that I don’t regret it, but I can’t turn back the clock.”

He said he “deeply regrets the embarrassment caused to all parties involved”. Mr Storey said his client had “developed a sense of embarrassment” and “accepts he behaved in a way no teacher should”.

The TRA Panel will now decide whether Mr Lowery’s actions constituted unacceptable professional conduct and whether any sanction should be imposed. The hearing continues.

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