A teacher who wrote and submitted a student’s coursework for them has been banned from the classroom indefinitely.
Lauren Oliver, 35, taught health and social care at Oasis Academy Shirley Park for 12 years, but in June 2023 it was discovered she rewrote a student’s coursework and sent it to the exam board in November 2022.
A panel found the teacher was “guilty of unacceptable professional conduct” and was “dishonest” and “lacked integrity”.
She has been banned from teaching indefinitely, with the right to have the prohibition order reviewed in two years.
On 21 June 2023, the principal of the school was approached by a student who informed them Ms Oliver wrote their coursework five months earlier, a report revealed.
Ms Oliver had advised the student that her work was due to be sampled for moderation by the exam board and that she would instead write the work and submit it on her behalf.
The coursework that was submitted on behalf of the student was different to what they had originally produced, the report added.
Ms Oliver resigned on 20 October 2023, after admitting to her actions.
The report highlights Ms Oliver’s actions meant the student temporarily received a better grade than they otherwise would have attained.
Her actions may also have affected the student’s overall grade because their work could have been disregarded.
Ms Oliver had over a decade of teaching experience and was one of the lead internal verifiers at the school – meaning she was responsible for confirming to the exam board that the coursework was authentic.
Considering this the panel decided Ms Oliver was aware that completing a students work on their behalf and attributing it to them was “wrong”.
The panel found Ms Oliver “behaved in a dishonest manner” and concluded her “conduct was capable of causing reputational damage to the school and her colleagues.”
She was found to not uphold the professional and ethical standards expected of a teacher.
“Ms Oliver was in a position of trust and responsibility. Therefore, honesty and integrity were integral to her role. Notwithstanding this, Ms Oliver behaved in a dishonest manner,” the panel said.
The former teacher is now banned from the classroom and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.
