A teacher who admitted drinking cider in his classroom at Westhoughton High School during the school day has been banned from the profession.
Mr Jon Downs, 36, was handed a prohibition order after a professional conduct panel found he had brought alcohol onto school premises and consumed it during school hours—actions which the panel said “put pupils at risk of potential harm”.
The Teaching Regulation Agency panel, which met in April, heard that on 3 July 2023, colleagues became concerned about Mr Downs’ behaviour. One colleague recalled that he “appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and at one point walked into a door”, despite being familiar with the school layout. Another said they could smell alcohol while speaking with him and noted that he “was not speaking in his usual manner”.
Investigations revealed that Mr Downs had placed three empty cans of cider in his classroom bin and admitted to drinking them during school hours when no pupils were present. A school-branded water bottle containing what appeared to be cider was also found on his desk.
The panel said: “By having and consuming alcohol on the school premises, Mr Downs had put pupils at risk of harm by being under the influence whilst having pupils in his care.”
