Simon Dodd has been banned from teaching after saying he got a 2:1 on his CV when in fact he got a 2:2
A teacher who lied on his CV to get a job at a top London girl’s school has been banned from the classroom for life.
Simon Dodd, 39, was appointed ‘director of creative enterprise’ at Francis Holland School in Sloane Square after telling school leaders he got a 2:1 at Cambridge.
But it later emerged that he received only a 2:2 and had faked a degree document.
He had also left off a short stint he did at another school from his CV.
Francis Holland is a top-performing private school which charges fees of £20,000 a year. Its former students include Cara Delevingne, Sienna Miller and the Ecclestone sisters.
A Department of Education standards hearing heard that, three months after Dodd was appointed to the role, the school’s headteacher had a ‘chance meeting’ with a former colleague of Dodd’s and it came to light he had left off a previous job he held from his CV.
Further investigation led to the discovery that the science teacher got a lower grade in his degree than he had stated when going for the job. He had falsified a degree certificate when he applied for the role, the panel heard.
He managed to get a role at top independent school, Francis Holland, in Sloane Square
Model Cara Delevingne and actress Sienna Miller are among the school’s former pupils
The disciplinary panel found: ‘There were multiple instances of serious dishonesty which continued for a period of around eight months.
‘During that eight months he failed to disclose the truth despite having many opportunities to do so.
‘The panel considers that Mr Dodd only had partial insight in that he did not appear to comprehend that teachers are role models, or understand fully, the potential impact of his conduct upon public perception of the profession.’
The panel found that Dodd was a ‘talented and dedicated teacher’ and ‘was open and honest about what he had done’.
However, the panel decided to impose an order preventing Dodd from teaching indefinitely.
The Ecclestone sisters, Tamara and Petra, also attended the £20,000 a year school
A report from the hearing stated: ‘The panel is satisfied that the conduct of Mr Dodd fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession and find Mr Dodd’s actions amount to unacceptable professional conduct.
‘The findings of misconduct are serious and the conduct displayed would likely have a negative impact on the individual’s status as a teacher, potentially damaging the public perception.
‘If such behaviour by teachers were to be tolerated, that would inevitably undermine the overall reputation of the profession. The panel, therefore, finds that Mr Dodd’s actions constitute conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.’
Speaking from his home in Walton-on-Thames, Dodd told the Evening Standard he had made an ‘a big mistake’ but was considering appealing.