A teacher at a prestigious private school in Somerset, England, has come under fire for allowing underage students to consume alcohol during a trip to Belgium. Gregory Durston, a sport and wellbeing teacher at Wellington School, turned a blind eye as children as young as 15 bought and drank alcoholic beverages, a serious breach of school policy and legal regulations. Despite facing censure for his behavior, Mr. Durston managed to avoid a ban from the profession due to the panel concluding that his actions were “out of character”.
The incident took place during a five-day hockey trip to Belgium, involving around 40 pupils aged between 15 and 18. Reports revealed that the teacher not only allowed underage drinking but also engaged in drinking himself during the trip, which included a hockey game where he was meant to umpire. Witnesses described Mr. Durston’s behavior as inappropriate and raised concerns about the impact this could have had on the students.
The panel heard accounts of Mr. Durston repeatedly telling the students “what goes on tour, stays on tour”, indicating a disregard for the rules and potentially manipulating the pupils to keep the events of the trip secret from their parents. This behavior, along with his failure to uphold the school’s policy and legal regulations, sparked controversy and led to a formal review by the Teaching Regulation Agency.
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Ultimately, the panel decided not to ban Mr. Durston from the profession, acknowledging his previous unblemished record and receiving praise from parents on previous occasions. They emphasized that his conduct was “out of character” and that he displayed remorse and reflection on the impact of his actions. While the panel recognized the severity of the behavior, they concluded that a prohibition order was not proportionate in this case.