Teaching assistant who left five-year-olds unaccompanied near lake had not been given guidance or training

An inexperienced and unqualified teaching assistant who left five-year-old pupils alone by a lake and a car park on a school trip has received a reprimand but can continue to work, a professional standards panel has ruled. Chloe Munn, who worked at Llandough Primary School, had not been given guidance on how to take children to the toilet on the trip to Cosmeston Lakes when she left three of them unaccompanied, an Education Workforce Council Wales committee found.

Announcing its delayed decision after a hearing earlier this month, the panel said that a risk assessment for the trip did not address how children should be taken to the toilet and Miss Munn had not been given clear instructions. There was also no evidence she had received on the job training at Llandough Primary.

The teaching assistant had worked well in the school’s nursery class, the panel said. But when she was moved to work in the reception class a “challenging” relationship with the teacher there affected Miss Munn’s confidence and performance, committee members said. For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter.

Nonetheless the allegations against her found proved were “not acceptable and must not happen again,” the committee added. The decision on November 29 followed a hearing earlier this month when Miss Munn faced a series of allegations, some of which the panel had found proved, and others not proved.

Although she attended some of the hearing, and the outcome, Miss Munn did not speak, was not represented and did not respond to the allegations, which were therefore all taken as denied by her.

The allegations found NOT proved

Allegations against Chloe Munn found not proved were as follows: That whilst employed as a School Learning Support Assistant at Llandough Primary she:

1. Did not take appropriate action and/or follow the required process in respect of pupil(s) that had hit their head, in that:

(a) On or around 24 October 2022, in respect of Pupil A, she did not:

(i) telephone Pupil A’s parent to notify them of the accident; and/or

(ii) complete an accident slip.

(b) On or around 9 November 2022, in respect of Pupil B, she did not:

(i) telephone Pupil B’s parent to notify them of the accident; and/or

(ii) complete an accident slip.

(c) On or around 23 March 2023, in respect of Pupil C, she did not:

(i) notify Pupil C’s parent of the accident; and/or

(ii) complete an accident slip.

Allegations found PROVED were that:

• On or around 25 October 2022, Miss Munn told Colleague A that she had notified Pupil A’s parent(s) on Seesaw (a school messaging service) of the accident on 24 October 2022, when she had not.
• In or around March 2023, she told one or more work colleagues inconsistent information relating to her partner. However, in relation to these allegations a further allegation that this behaviour demonstrated a lack of integrity or was dishonest was found not proved.
• During a school trip on or around 18 April 2023, she left three pupils unaccompanied outside a toilet, and/or did not make other staff aware that she would be going into the male toilets with some of them.
• As a result of her conduct leaving three pupils unaccompanied outside a toilet and/or not making other staff aware she would be going into the male toilets she failed to safeguard pupils. Separate allegations that she had failed to safeguard pupils in relation to other allegations not proved were also found not proved.

The committee found Miss Munn only displayed unacceptable professional conduct and ‘serious professional incompetence’ in relation to leaving pupils unaccompanied outside the toilet and not making staff aware she would be leaving them to take some into the male toilet, but not in relation to any other of the allegations.

Reprimand

The reprimand, which stays on her record for two years, allows Miss Munn to continue working as a teaching assistant and she remains on the EWC’s register. But she must disclose the reprimand to any new employer. She has the right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days.

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