By Lucy Caulkett-
A culture of cheating was approved ”right from the top” at Wyndmon college in Norfolk, a tribunal has heard
The principal of Wymondham College, Jonathan Taylor, failed To Investigate a culture of cheating in the G.C.S. E and A level ICT October 2015, involving students having up to double the time prescribed for controlled assessments, issues of grading, and teachers tweaking coursework, a tribunal was told.
Mr Taylor told an employment tribunal in Bury St Edmonds that he did not investigate the claims, but relied on the conclusions of an internal investigation by ICT staff. Concerns were raised by Asharad Ali- the director of E-learning at the college, who was later dismissed allegedly because of his whistleblowing. Director of the ICT department, Kim Williams, told the tribunal that Ali’s behaved rudely and unapproachable. However, another member of the ICT staff, Sydney Payne, supported Ali’s claim of cheating within the department.
CHEATING IN COLLEGE
Mr Ali discretely recorded a conversation with students discussing the cheating , but the school’s legal team condemned Ali’s actions at the tribunal. Kim Williams, the director of the department, was told by Ms Payne that students were being allowed twice the amount of time allowed for an internal G.C.S.E coursework assignment.
Williams, according to Ali, told students to disregard the 40 hour limit on controlled assessment work- an act that was ”clearly in breach of examination rules, and cheating in my view, Mr Ali said in witness statements. ”Both myself and Sydney pain were very concerned about this, Ali stated. The sacked whistleblower said he confronted Ms Williams about it again and secretly recorded her admit that the principle had approved this mechanism of alleged cheating.
”Honestly, I asked John to check with Jonathan before I went ahead and let those kids…because I didn’t want to do it without their say so, she can be heard saying on tape. I didn’t want to do it on the quiet’‘. Ali said he was amazed by the conversation, as he was telling me that John Chitty and Jonathan Taylor(the principle) knew about it and had given her the go ahead”. Edward Kemp- a lawyer from Littleton Chambers legal firm, claimed ”the children were joking and exaggerating their claims of cheating”, adding that Ali’s recording was ”a serious breach of trust”. Trust to support mal practise, by the sound if things. However, the lawyer’s defence was empty without weight or credibility.
COLLEGE TEACHERS
Teachers were also said to have been handing back marked assessments for improvement, in breach of exam rules. A statement by Mr Taylor read :’ We vigorously deny the allegations and are confident the tribunal will find in our favour.
‘we ensure the examination and other assessed work is invigilated and marked to the highest standards, and in accordance with the examination board guidance. ‘‘We are extremely proud of the hard work of our students and the academic accomplishments they justifiably achieve”.
Well, we at the eye of media.com are not proud of the news of alleged cheating and cover-up at the school. Though we are yet to confirm the academic accomplishments your students achieve. The tribunal continues