Teacher falsely told pupils she was in a war zone and injured: did this cross professional boundaries?

We examine Miss Alexandra Slay professional conduct outcome, focusing on whether she crossed professional boundaries and whether the Secretary of State banned her from teaching.

Facts

Miss Slay worked as a maths teacher before becoming a head of year. Concerns were raised that she gave her personal mobile number and email address to pupils and sent messages that were inappropriate and overly familiar. The school investigated and Miss Slay later resigned.

Miss Slay was referred to the Teaching Regulation Agency where it was alleged that she was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute because she: 

• Gave her personal mobile number and email address to pupils
• Sent inappropriate and overly familiar messages to pupils
• Shared details of her personal life with pupils
• Shared details of other pupils and staff members with pupils
• Sent messages and letters to pupils in which she fabricated stories about being in a war zone and sustaining injuries

As a result, it was alleged that she had developed inappropriate relationships with pupils and breached the boundaries of a teacher-pupil relationship, that she caused stress and/or alarm to pupils, and failed to act on safeguarding concerns. 

Professional conduct panel

The panel reviewed multiple text messages and emails between Miss Slay and several pupils, identifying repeated breaches of professional boundaries. 

Miss Slay engaged in inappropriate discussions, including asking a pupil, “What is intimacy look or feel like to you?" and sharing her own views. She also used nicknames and sent messages such as, “Your heart and mine are somewhat similar”. In addition, she encouraged secrecy, for example, when giving a pupil her personal number, she wrote “For your eyes only”. 

She sent a high volume of messages, often in a diary-style format, and sought emotional reassurance from pupils. Some messages showed favouritism, such as “You are still number 1”. She also frequently contacted pupils outside school hours and, in one instance, arranged to watch a television programme at the same time. 

Miss Slay further disclosed her own emotional distress, shared details of her personal life and relationships, offered pupils relationship advice, and discussed other pupils and staff. 

Her conduct extended beyond messaging. She wrote handwritten letters to pupils, some marked not to be opened until a specified time, which included fabricated claims about travelling to a war zone as part of military service. She also sent messages, purportedly from a third party, describing serious injuries she claimed to have sustained. For example, one message sent from her mobile number said, “Under the advice of my chief and back up from Cpt. Slay, I am giving update on Cpt. Slay's condition…Earlier in the day, Cpt. Slay and several others have been severely wounded. Cpt. Slay sustained two rounds to her abdomen and lost severe amounts of blood… Cpt. Slay has been in surgery to remove two rounds from her abdomen.”  

Overall, the panel found clear evidence that Miss Slay formed inappropriate and over-familiar relationships with pupils. By sharing her personal contact details, she enabled frequent, non-school related communication that went beyond a teacher-pupil relationship. In some cases, roles reversed with pupils offering her emotional support. 

The panel found that these actions breached clear school policies, including safeguarding, ICT use, and the code of conduct. The panel also found that the fabricated messages about her injuries were distressing and had the potential to cause pupils significant stress and alarm. It also found that she was aware of multiple safeguarding concerns that should have been referred, but she failed to do so. Overall, it concluded that all the allegations were proven. 

Was it a breach of the Teachers' Standards?

The panel went on to consider if her conduct breached the Teachers' Standards and found that she breached the following standards: 

• Teachers uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school by:

  • Treating pupils with dignity, building relationships rooted in mutual respect, and at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher's professional position

  • Having regard for the need to safeguard pupils' well-being, in accordance with statutory provisions

• Teachers must have proper and professional regard for the ethos, policies and practices of the school in which they teach

• Teachers must have an understanding of, and always act within, the statutory frameworks which set out their professional duties and responsibilities.  

The panel were also satisfied that Miss Slay's behaviour breached Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) including the following: 

• Staff must know the school's safeguarding systems, including the staff behaviour policy/code of conduct

• Staff should act in the child's best interest, act immediately, follow the child protection policy and speak to the DSL or deputy

The panel found that Miss Slay held a position of trust when she sent the messages and that her behaviour risked exposing pupils to harm or negatively influencing them. The messages were highly inappropriate, and, in some cases, caused distress. She developed inappropriate relationships with pupils that went beyond professional boundaries. This conduct continued over at least two years and involved a significant number of inappropriate messages sent to multiple pupils.

The panel concluded that Miss Slay's behaviour amounted to serious misconduct and fell far below the standards expected of the profession. It found that she was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and that her actions could bring the profession into disrepute. 

The panel recommended a prohibition order with a review after two years, and the Secretary of State accepted that recommendation. 

Key takeaways for schools and colleges

This case highlights the importance of teachers maintaining clear professional boundaries and recognising when their behaviour risks crossing the line. 

The panel noted that the school had clear and comprehensive policies, which Miss Slay was expected to follow. It also reviewed her training record, which confirmed she had received the relevant training and understood those policies. This reinforces the importance for employers of having clear policies, ensuring staff are properly trained, and maintaining clear records of that training. 

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