Bedworth Teacher Banned Indefinitely After Drunken School Trip Incident

A former Bedworth teacher has been prohibited from teaching indefinitely following serious professional misconduct related to drunkenness while supervising pupils. Christopher Small, 35, taught at Nicholas Chamberlaine School for nine years until leaving in August 2023.

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) heard that the misconduct occurred during a residential trip to a Norfolk boarding school, where Small was responsible for eight pupils. During the stay, he reportedly locked himself in a room, leaving the children unattended, and later “ran around the grounds” when a colleague attempted to escort him away from the site.

After leaving Nicholas Chamberlaine, Small secured a position at a college in Leicestershire by providing false information about a previous drink-driving arrest. However, he lasted only a few days; pupils and colleagues observed him behaving as if intoxicated, including drinking a clear liquid from a Lucozade bottle.

A professional conduct panel found Small guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and conduct likely to bring the profession into disrepute. The panel noted he had been dishonest and displayed a “significant lack of insight” into the seriousness of his actions. They concluded that “public confidence in the profession could be seriously weakened if conduct such as that found against Mr Small were not treated with the utmost seriousness.”

The report stated that Small “fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession” and that banning him from teaching was “proportionate and in the public interest.” While Small has a previously “good history,” the panel ruled that he is prohibited from teaching in any school or sixth-form college. He may apply to have the prohibition order reviewed from November 2029, four years after the order, but any such application would be carefully considered by a panel rather than automatically lifted.

Panel members highlighted the risks posed by Small’s lack of insight. “Through his written representations, he did not appear to acknowledge the seriousness of the incidents,” the report stated. “The panel therefore felt there was a significant risk of repetition. His actions had a direct adverse effect on colleagues who witnessed and had to deal with his conduct, and involved risky behaviours that could have directly impacted pupils and the wider public.”

The decision underscores the profession’s commitment to maintaining safety and public trust, with the panel emphasizing that Small’s behavior fell far below the standards expected of teachers.

A former Bedworth teacher has been prohibited from teaching indefinitely following serious professional misconduct related to drunkenness while supervising pupils. Christopher Small, 35, taught at Nicholas Chamberlaine School for nine years until leaving in August 2023.

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