Teacher who let pupils drink alcohol avoids ban

A sports teacher who let private school pupils drink alcohol on an overseas trip to Belgium has narrowly avoided a ban from the profession.

Gregory Durston "turned a blind eye" as children from Wellington School in Somerset - some aged as young as 15 - bought several rounds of beers and ciders.

The Teaching Regulation Agency panel heard the teacher had also been drinking on the trip, and repeatedly told students "what goes on tour, stays on tour".

However, the panel described Mr Durston's conduct as "out of character", and accepted that he was "remorseful and reflective of his actions".

Mr Durston was employed as a "sport and wellbeing teacher" at the school between September 2021 and January 2023, the panel heard.

In October 2022, he was the leader of a five-day hockey trip to Belgium, where the legal drinking age for beer and wine is 16.

There were five other members of staff in attendance, alongside around 40 pupils aged between 15 and 18.

One pupil, who was 16 at the time, told the panel that on the second night of the trip Mr Durston told the pupils they could order alcohol.

The teacher later returned to warn the pupils they could only have two drinks, but "by that time people had already drank so much more, around four and five drinks total", the panel heard.

Another witness added: "I was shocked with how much alcohol was being consumed by students."

The panel heard the teacher had also been drinking on the trip, including when he was on the ferry and again when he was supposed to be umpiring a match.

The panel concluded that Mr Durston's drinking in the presence of pupils was "unnecessary and did amount to inappropriate behaviour".

"Mr Durston was role modelling inappropriate behaviour to pupils, particularly when drinking at a hockey game when he was involved with umpiring," the written ruling stated.

Throughout the trip, Mr Durston also kept repeating "what goes on tour stays on tour". A witness told the panel it "must have been said about 10 times".

When asked about the context of the comment at the hearing, Witness A said it was "controlling others in an unfair way, manipulating others, stuff on tour went wrong so the pupils shouldn't tell their parents".

"Turning a blind eye" to pupils under 16 drinking and buying alcohol breached the school's policy, as well as the law in England and Belgium, the panel ruled.

However, it added: "Aside from this narrow and isolated incident, Mr Durston previously had an unblemished record.

"The nature and severity of the behaviour were at the less serious end of the possible spectrum. A prohibition order is not proportionate or in the public interest."

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.