A embarrassed director is confronted with teaching teaching a private school of £ 14,000 a year about John Lewis Vouchers worth thousands.
Hilary French, a former main teacher at the independent Newcastle High School for Girls, in Jondond, Newcastle, was fired and arrested after she had explained 65 John Lewis vouchers worth almost £ 3,000.
She claimed that they were gifts for staff who left, guest speakers at the school and prices for students, heard a misconduct in the misconduct of the Education Regulation Agency.
Her actions were discovered after an internal audit identified various potential concerns in March 2018, including the unusual purchase of the gift vouchers of a total of £ 2,970, claimed between April 2017 and February 2018.
This led to a disciplinary investigation and a police investigation into the purchases, heard a misconduct panel of the education regulation agency.
In July 2023, French appeared on Newcastle Crown Court, where she owed three counts of fraud by abuse of position and was sentenced to six months suspended for 12 months by 150 hours of unpaid work.
Originally she strongly denied the violations that were intended to challenge the findings in an employment tribunal – but later pleaded three counts of fraud.
Frans has made several claims, as well as the gift vouchers, including meals and a false theft.
Hilary French (photo) is a embarrassed director and is confronted with teaching a private school of £ 14,000 a year via John Lewis Vouchers worth thousands
She was fired and arrested by the police after she published 65 John Lewis vouchers worth almost £ 3,000
This included a claim for a £ 295 sweaty Betty jacket that she said was stolen from the school. However, this was later found in the boot of her car.
In another case, she submitted a claim for meals during a weekend trip to Bath and claimed that she had met former school students, the conviction added.
Public Prosecutor Liam O'Brien said that it was due to 'pure chance' that one of the former students who claimed French had met for a meal, eventually bumped into another staff member at the school.
She confirmed that she had not seen the MS Frans since she left school.
The former senior lecturer traveled to Bath to support the hockey team during a competition in November 2017 to make 'most' of her remaining time at work.
Mr. O'Brien said: “The suspect traveled to Bath, although not with the girls.
'When she returned to the northeast, she submitted the costs of £ 220.83 for a series of meals she claimed to have had with former students of Newcastle High School for girls studying at Bath University or other nearby institutions.
'Statements were made from each of the girls who claimed to have met the suspect.
“They all said that the last time they had seen the suspect was when they left the school.”
The panel was convinced that proof of the punishment, which was not higher, proved the accusations of fraudulently claimed costs.
Frans was a highly regarded teacher with a long and distinguished career and she could not say why she committed the violations and has since repaid the funds.
French did not live with misconduct on Friday and told her representative that she could 'not' deal with the procedure and did not want to continue.
A decision was made to continue with the hearing in her absence. The outcome of misconduct is determined privately.
The judge said: “This is a very sad case. 'You were a 2006 director after a very long and prominent career as a teacher.
“It's all a sad person that your career ended this way.”
