A design and technology teacher who left students unsupervised while handling potentially hazardous workshop equipment has been allowed to continue teaching following a professional misconduct hearing. Paul Price, employed at Leasowes High School in Halesowen, West Midlands, has faced criticism after an incident in January 2024 during which he was found vaping in a nearby storeroom while Year 9 pupils worked with saws, mallets, and an electronic sander.

According to accounts from the hearing, Mr. Price left his classroom unattended and the tool cupboard unlocked and open. Students were actively using hand tools and machinery at the time. A colleague who discovered him described Mr. Price as appearing “guilty” and “a bit sorry for himself.” Initially, he told the colleague he was retrieving and returning a card in the storeroom, but later acknowledged he had been vaping to cope with an impending panic attack.

Mr. Price accepted the inherent dangers of leaving pupils unsupervised in a workshop environment, acknowledging that saws and other tools could have been misused or caused injury, including the risk of clothing, hair, or fingers becoming entangled in rotating equipment. He expressed remorse during the proceedings, describing the situation as causing him “extreme regret.”

The matter was reported by the school and led to Mr. Price’s suspension and eventual dismissal in July 2024. The case was then referred to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) for a formal misconduct hearing. While the panel concluded that his behavior qualified as unacceptable professional conduct, it determined that striking off was not a proportionate response. Instead, publication of the findings was deemed sufficient to deter future incidents.

Bev Williams, chair of the TRA panel, emphasized that parents would not expect children to be left unsupervised, especially in a design and technology setting where dangerous equipment is in use. She noted that while no harm came to the pupils and a technician was nearby, the decision to leave the room and vape on school grounds involved prioritizing personal needs over safeguarding responsibilities. Williams also expressed concern that the episode could undermine public confidence in the teaching profession.

Stuart Blomfield, making the final decision on behalf of the Secretary of State, echoed the panel’s view, stating that publishing the findings serves the public interest by upholding professional standards and sending an appropriate message regarding acceptable conduct among educators.