School stands by teacher who took crack cocaine
A Bristol secondary school is standing by a teacher who has admitted using crack cocaine.
William Horseman was dismissed from The Ridings High School at Winterbourne after he fell asleep during a lesson while using the class A drug.
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Mr Horseman was back teaching today at his new school, the Merchants' Academy, Withywood, following the half-term break.
Head teacher Stephen Kings said he was unaware of Mr Horseman's use of cocaine when he took the teacher on.
He said today: "He was already teaching at the school working as a supply teacher. He received good reports from the school and was known as a good mathematician.
"I knew he had been dismissed from The Ridings High School but he was already teaching and he was cleared to teach through the various checks and we believed that he should be given another chance.
"I did not know about the General Teaching Council (GTC) hearing until February 9 when Mr Horseman told me.
"From September to February we were satisfied that his attendance was excellent and he has been teaching students in a most satisfactory way."
The Bristol Post reported how at a hearing held by the GTC in Birmingham last week, Mr Horseman admitted unacceptable professional conduct at The Ridings High School, where he was a teacher for 25 years.
The hearing was told he had fallen asleep during a school trip to Bristol Zoo, dismissed a Year 12 and Year 13 class early and left school ahead of the bell.
Mr Horseman also failed to attend a summer school on one day in 2007 and two registration sessions in September of the same year.
His cocaine habit was discovered when police were called to his flat after his car was stolen and he admitted using the Class A drug.
Mr Horseman has since given an undertaking that he would not use cocaine again.
Mr Kings said the school would follow a two-year conditional order imposed on Mr Horseman by the GTC following the hearing.
He said: "We will have to report to the GTC confirming his satisfactory teaching conduct three times a year."
The school said Mr Horseman would not be available to comment.
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by Sabrina, Bristol
Thursday, May 07 2009, 9:57PM
“Mr Horseman was one of the best teachers at the Ridings high School.
Loads of people do things like that, so do the students....people shouldn't give him such a bad time. Its not like he was persuading students to take drugs or anything like that.
I know Mr Horseman made a mistake but everyone makes mistakes at some point in their life, noone is perfect.
Like I said, he was one of the best teachers at the Ridings, a really nice guy and I think people should give him a break.”
by paige, bristol
Tuesday, April 14 2009, 1:27AM
“Why is this man still aloud to teach in are school (nerchants acadmey) as a student of his i feel like this is disgusting i really think he shouldnt be aloud a second chance as they are a banging on about giving him another chance but it is teaching children that if they take the drug they will have another chance not being funny but if you sat in his class i feel unsafe and uncomfortable it isnt right the school need to actually sit down and actually think about what the hell they just done let a drugy basicly teach us children. it is actually disgraceful i think this isnt right i hope are head teacher mr king realises sooner rather than later that he has made a big mistake on leting him teach at merchant academy yes i can undersatnd he had no idea about this but when he found out he should of dismissed him asap the basi matter is that he shouldnt be aloud to teach
yr nine student of merchants acadmey”
by Graeme, Knowle
Tuesday, February 24 2009, 8:13PM
“Why is this still dragging through the daily stuff EP decides to put on its website. Enough people have given their views and mostly support over the past two or three weeks. Isn't it about time he WAS given his second chance to get on with teaching and be left alone - like this whole story needs to be.”
by david, bristol
Tuesday, February 24 2009, 11:56AM
“Sorry malcy of yate not the right david you are talking about only just started to put my comments on here yesterday”
by M, Briz
Tuesday, February 24 2009, 11:18AM
“I agree with alot of the comments, about 2nd chances. Unfortunately, when you work with children there should be zero tolerance to behaviour that represents gross misconduct. This was not in his own time, it was during the day, when he was supposed to be supervising children! If one of these youngsters was hurt or worse during that time, this would be a very different story.
I'm not having a go at the guy, and I wish him luck in the future, but when working with children you have to be whiter than white! You risk your job and reputation by not behaving as expected, and he took the chance and should have lost his job as a teacher. He made the choice to behave like that, nice bloke or not.”