Drunk music teacher who gave drum lesson while 'absolutely plastered' avoids classroom ban

Nicholas Smalley "smelled of alcohol" while he taught a pupil the drums at Wimbledon Park Primary School, a witness told a professional conduct hearing.

The teacher, who was dismissed in December 2023, "looked like he had been drinking” and had "alcohol on his breath" when he was found in the classroom with a large 500ml bottle of tonic water which “contained clear liquid and had just under half left".

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When asked if he had been drinking, a "shocked" Mr Smalley said "yes" and apologised.

The drum teacher has now found out that he will be allowed to continue teaching after a panel for the TRA hearing concluded that it would be a "loss to schools" to lose the specialist teaching provision he offered.

Mr Smalley claimed to the witness that the bottle in his classroom contained water, but she felt he didn't have the "capacity to understand what was going on” as he was “absolutely plastered and not coherent in anything”.

But once he left the room, she could not find any alcohol to show he had been drinking.

Mr Smalley said in a statement: "I did arrive smelling of alcohol, however, I did not take it into the school.

"The plastic tonic bottle was filled with water (sometimes cordial), if it had been alcohol I wouldn't have openly left it on the table. I think several of my students would vouch that I always brought water to lessons in the same yellow tonic bottle."

The hearing was also told by other witnesses that Mr Smalley was "really friendly and very nice" and had a long previous history of teaching for over 27 years without issue.

Panellists accepted the witness' evidence that Mr Smalley was under the influence of alcohol, but there was insufficient evidence that he had consumed any alcohol on the school premises or whilst teaching pupils.

There was also no convincing evidence that he had alcohol with him on the school premises that day.

The panel did consider that his actions could "damage the public’s perception of a teacher" as he should not be on "school premises or teaching pupils whilst smelling so strongly of alcohol".

But evidence suggested personal pressures, including a busy teaching schedule and performing in the evenings, had impacted Mr Smalley’s decision-making at the time of the incident.

The panel therefore found his actions to be out of character.

TRA chief executive Marc Carvey said: "A prohibition order is not proportionate or in the public interest. I consider that the publication of the findings made would be sufficient to send an appropriate message to the teacher as to the standards of behaviour that were not acceptable and that the publication would meet the public interest requirement of declaring proper standards of the profession."