Deputy headteacher ‘told pupils about incorrect answers in Sats tests’

A deputy headteacher “flagged down” a “difficult cohort” of pupils for their incorrect answers during Sats tests, a report said.

When a student asked Peter Hill for a tire, he “said ‘if I were you I’d leave it’ or words to that effect”.

Mr Hill said the students concerned were under “excessive and unrealistic” pressure due to mental health and behavioral challenges.

But a teaching committee said he was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct.

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) said Year 6 pupils at Belgrave St Peter’s Primary School, Leicester, were sitting English exams in May 2022 when Mr Hill told them he or someone else would indicate incorrect answers.

During an unannounced visit to the school, which is part of the Rise multi-academy trust, the next day, an observer overheard a pupil asking before a test: “Are we going to do that thing where we indicate wrong answers?”

Mr. Hill told the student that it would not happen and that it had not happened the previous day, but a randomly selected group of students confirmed what happened when they were questioned.

Admitting the allegations, Mr Hill – who resigned on 31 May 2022, before it was referred to the TRA – agreed that his behavior “may bring the profession into disrepute”.

In his evidence to the jury, he said the headteacher was away at the time and had spoken to the Rise Trust’s director of education who “wanted the school to raise results for a significant number of pupils who were performing below standard expected”.

“Mr Hill described this as a difficult cohort with significant social, emotional and mental needs and behavioral challenges,” the group said.

“It was Mr Hill’s evidence that, as a result, there was an excessive and unrealistic expectation of pupils.”

Although it found his behavior “was significantly below the standards expected of the profession”, the TRA did not impose a ban, saying Mr Hill “recognised the seriousness of his actions and demonstrated how such behavior will be avoided in the future”.

Mark Cole, chief executive of Rise, said it was trust staff who “identified the unacceptable professional behavior in question during an unannounced monitoring visit” before reporting it “as soon as possible”.

“It was the trust’s vigilance that highlighted the behaviors in question,” he said.

“We continue to make unannounced visits to all our schools to ensure exemplary test administration.”