A teacher who allowed a four-year-old boy to leave school and claimed she had handed them over to a responsible adult admitted she "didn't want to be" in the classroom.
In November 2019, Evangeline Edwin, who was an agency teacher at Childwall Church of England Primary School, told school leaders that despite the boy being expected at an after school football club, she “definitely” released him to a woman with red hair. The child, known as Pupil A, was later found 10 minutes away from the school by a member of the public.
A Teacher Regulation Agency (TRA) hearing was told that during that time, the boy managed to cross a series of main roads unaccompanied. On the second and final day of the hearing, Miss Edwin took the stand to give her evidence.
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The former teacher, who accepted she had let Pupil A leave the school, said she had let him go to a woman with red hair. She said it had been “distinctive” and was the first thing that came to her mind and that she had no reason to “cover my tracks” or change her version of events.
Miss Edwin told the hearing that upon watching CCTV in September 2021, she learned a second child had got up at the same time as Pupil A when leaving the classroom and left with the correct parent. She said seeing this footage “made the situation even worse” but rejected she was not paying attention.
Addressing the day in question, Miss Edwin told the TRA panel how she didn’t want to be teaching in early years and was “openly relieved” to be completing her last day in reception. She said she “didn’t want to be there” and simply wanted to “get through the day” and go back to Year 4 as a teaching assistant.
That morning, Miss Edwin said she was “looking forward to another wonderful day with the children.” After being told by colleagues Pupil A had left despite being expected at the after school football club, Miss Edwin said: “I clearly remember leaving him with someone.”
She said she had “definitely” sent Pupil A with an adult and went to check if he had gone to the football club. He had not.
Miss Edwin said when she found out the boy had been reunited with his parents, she calmed down and left a note for a fellow teacher by way of an apology and to say she had “learned my lesson.” The former teacher said Childwall had been her “dream school to work in” and she “just wanted to clear my name, I just wanted to fix everything.”
She told the panel that she had no reason to lie or mislead people but accepted it had been a safeguarding risk. Miss Edwin said: “I wanted to fix it so this didn’t happen to another child.”
Asked by presenting officer Holly Quirk, should she be allowed to teach again, how she would ensure pupil safety, Miss Edwin said: “Since the incident, I have constantly tried to overcome and not go into myself. I try to fix whatever mistakes I make.
“I know that next time I wouldn’t go off what someone said on face value. I was too young and naive to recognise I should have insisted someone else was there who was more comfortable.
“I wouldn’t open the door until someone else could help me with this. No matter where I go, I will always take safety and safeguarding more seriously.”
The panel is considering whether Miss Edwin’s action amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. If that is found to be the case, a sanction may be imposed.
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