Portsmouth teacher banned for 'serious dishonesty' after trying to cheat exam system

A former Portsmouth teacher who was head of PE has been banned for “serious dishonesty” after he was caught out trying to cheat the exam system.

Thomas Barge, 44, has been removed from teaching for four years after his “unacceptable professional conduct” at Ark Charter Academy in Hyde Park Road, Southsea.

A professional conduct panel on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education found in May 2023 Barge “changed the work of one or more pupils and/or used the work of one or more pupils to improve the work of other pupils”.

On 17 May 2023 he submitted work to the exam board within the moderation sample for approximately 10 pieces of work which “purported to be pupils’ work, when he knew this was not the case”.

In or around May 2023 he asked a colleague to create pupils’ work to be included in the moderation sample and said “we will find some work”.

Around the same time he asked one or more pupils to sign declarations before moderation when their work was not present with the pupils not seeing the work they were signing the declarations in relation to.

In the same month he altered grades and made up marks which were not based on the work of one or more pupils. Later that month he did not follow protocols in relation to submitting missing work for students.

The findings mean Barge is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

The written outcome verdict noted the “serious dishonesty” and said: “Mr Barge had been dishonest on multiple levels over a period of time, had submitted false, manufactured coursework, had sought to inveigle colleagues in his dishonesty (including by lying to them about the appropriate steps to take) and had failed at any material time to seek advice or guidance from those he was clearly well aware he could, indeed the panel was aware he had sought advice previously.”

It added: “Mr Barge is a very experienced teacher, highly trained and well aware of the rules of the assessment of which he was in charge.

“He chose to completely disregard those rules and pursue a course of dishonest conduct which demonstrated a wholly inappropriate, and completely unjustifiable, attitude towards that most vital aspect of children's education – the probity of public assessments and qualifications.

“The panel was highly concerned, from the actions of Mr Barge which it had found proven, and the facts surrounding them, that this came from a troubling underlying attitude on Mr Barge's part which would require extensive reflection, insight and training were he to ever meaningfully move past it and return to teaching.

“As it stood the panel was highly concerned that such actions could be repeated were Mr Barge to find himself in a similar situation and noted he had made no effort to identify the triggers which had led to this behaviour, let alone identify and apply methodologies to ensure he did not take such actions again.”