Head teacher banned over fake expenses claims for £3,000 in gift cards

A distinguished headteacher who cheated her school out of almost £3,000 has been struck off.

Hilary French listed John Lewis gift cards as expenses – they were intended to be used as gifts for staff members, student prizes and guest speakers.

French, 69, had worked as head teacher at Newcastle High School for Girls since January 2006 until an audit revealed suspicious goings-on in 2018.

A Teaching Regulation Agency misconduct panel heard French was asked to explain claims for a Sweaty Betty jacket, a sofa and a trip to Bath. Eventually, the school called in the police.

In May 2023 she was convicted on three fraud charges and was given a six-month jail term suspended for a year.

The trial judge said French had a long and distinguished career as a teacher but between 2016 and 2018 she claimed 65 John Lewis cards worth £2,970.

She also expensed a weekend trip in 2017 and the Sweaty Betty coat which was found in the boot of her car.

The judge said French could not explain why she committed the fraud and said it was ‘carelessness’.

The TRA panel was told French was held in the highest esteem by teachers, parents and pupils alike calling her ‘honest, ethical, trustworthy’ and had ‘integrity and respect’.

The panel heard Ms French repaid the money and had no financial difficulties.

French has been banned from teaching for at least the next five years.

In January, two senior teachers of a special educational needs school were banned from teaching after a panel found them guilty of ‘improper use’ of £250,000 in school funds.

Mike Turner, who joined River House School in Warwickshire as head in 2000, and Simon Constantinou, who joined as a deputy in 2004, were accused of abusing their positions over a period of more than 10 years.

Alarms were raised after an employee of the school who joined in March 2015 discovered ‘potential financial irregularities’ and asked for an audit.

Constantinou, who is now over 70 years old, was suspended in May of that year, and Turner, who is now 70, retired three months later.

Both were referred to the Teaching Regulation Authority the following year.

The findings against Turner included accepting ‘overpayments’ of £36,000 of a ‘Recruitment and Retention’ allowance. The school’s governing body approved a one-off £4,000 payment for the allowance in 2005.

But Turner continued to be paid the same amount every year until 2015, when the audit began, the panel heard.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.