Teacher Banned After Rewriting Student’s Coursework
Lauren Oliver, 35, a health and social care teacher at Oasis Academy Shirley Park for 12 years, has been banned from teaching indefinitely after rewriting a student’s coursework and submitting it as their own in November 2022.
The misconduct came to light in June 2023 when a student informed the school principal about the incident. Ms Oliver had advised the student that her work would be sampled by the exam board, then completed and submitted the coursework herself.
The submitted work differed from the student’s original submission, temporarily giving the student a higher grade.
A panel found Ms Oliver’s actions “dishonest,” lacking integrity, and “capable of causing reputational damage” to the school and colleagues. She resigned in October 2023, and the Teaching Regulation Agency confirmed she cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, youth accommodation, or children’s home in England.
Oasis Academy Shirley Park emphasized that they referred the incident to the exam board and TRA, had no role in the TRA’s decision, and takes breaches of professional standards seriously.
Ms Oliver’s behavior violated the students’ right to education and fair assessment and undermined their trust in the learning process.
As a teacher and role model, her actions also sent the wrong message to students about honesty, integrity, and professional responsibility, potentially impacting their values and confidence in the educational system.
