A headteacher accused of having an extra marital affair with a pupil’s mum made an emotional apology to his family.
A hearing was told that Aled Rees frequently left the school during the day without informing staff, chatted to the child’s mother at the school gates and even took personal phone calls in his office, reports Wales Online.
He is also alleged to have told a pregnant teacher “that will teach you to open your legs”, but he denies this happened.
Speaking at the Mr Rees at the Education Workforce Council hearing on May 2, he said: “I recognise my fault and blame. I take the blame. I have fallen short of the expectations I would have set for myself and would be expected of me by bodies in general. I regret the pain I caused to members of staff, pupils, parents and not to mention my own family.”
Representing Mr Rees, Ioan Jones from education union UCAC, said he “accepts it is not appropriate to remain in the profession” which he left voluntarily in February 2021 and “accepts that he deserves any sanction or conditions you impose”.
The hearing's panel heard that Mr Rees joined Ysgol Teilo Sant in in Llandeilo as head teacher in January 2018.
However, it is alleged that between September 2018 and February 2020 he “spent an excessive amount of time” away from the school during the day without arranging any cover.
Assistant headteacher Maureen Williams told the hearing that the 180-pupil school was subsequently left without the safeguarding lead, and without anyone taking overall responsibility.
Mr Rees would be absent for periods ranging from 45 minutes to several hours and once for a whole afternoon.
Mrs Williams said that despite there being no tangible evidence of an affair there was a rumour and people witnessed the head and a pupil’s mother chatting at the school gates every morning.
Just before the Covid lockdown a teacher raised concerns that a pupil in his class was crying and upset because her parents were splitting up.
Although Mr Rees should have been involved in helping, as the safeguard lead, the child said she did not want to speak to him, the hearing heard.
Mrs Williams told the panel: “Aled Rees noticed learner A was crying but walked past rather than walk over. The girl told her teacher she did not want to speak to Aled Rees.”
Mrs Williams told the hearing she began noticing the head was leaving the school without informing anyone else by around October 2018, and come spring of 2019 his absences were “worsening.”
Worried that his absence could be a “risk”, Mrs Williams confronted Mr Rees and he said he would let her know when he was leaving the site. “He didn’t give any reason other than he was popping to the Co-op for food.”
Mrs Williams began keeping records of the head’s departures and said she noticed he left his work phone in school so he could not be contacted: “He was not leading the school as he should. He did not offer advice or support to staff. Leadership was unclear.”
She said there was once a school trip and his absence meant no-one was leading the school, and that Mr Rees missed yard duty and assemblies.
Mrs Williams said: “We did not have evidence of an affair but there was a rumour going around and there was the pattern of his frequent loitering and staying outside by the gate with Learner A’s mother. Staff talked about it. I would see him at the gate talking to the parent in question.”
Year five teacher Elen Davies told the panel that Mr Rees sometimes spent half an hour chatting to the parent at the school gate in the mornings. “It was clear he gave this parent more attention that other parents” and Mr Rees “was not fulfilling his role as headteacher”, she told the hearing.
Matters came to a head after March 2019 after Ms Davies informed Mr Rees she was pregnant. Shortly afterwards, when Mrs Davies complained her class had been moved, she claimed Mr Rees told her "that’s what you get for opening your legs” - or words to that effect.
She said: "It made me feel angry and scared. Aled Rees was best friends with the chair of governors so I felt he would not support me.
“I remember feeling quite vulnerable. It was clear Aled Rees was able to do whatever he wanted in his role.
“I was only 25 at the time and felt it was my word against Aled Rees’ - I regret not reporting it now.” Mr Rees denies the allegation.
Mr Rees faces six allegations, five of which he accepts, which if found proven would amount to unacceptable professional misconduct. Mr Rees accepts the following allegations that:
* From around September 2018 to February 2020, he spent an excessive amount of time away from the school site on activities that did not relate to school business and/or was uncontactable during the working day.
*From around September 2018 to February 2020, he did not consistently ensure the senior leadership team and/or the administrative office were informed that he was:
a) leaving the school site; and/or
b) where he was going; and/or
c) when he would return
* From around September 2018 to February 2020, he did not ensure sufficient cover with the senior leadership team in his role as designated safeguarding officer and/or headteacher when he was not on site at the school should an incident occur in his absence.
* From around September 2018 to February 2020, he spent an excessive amount of time engaged in personal telephone calls during the working day.
* By virtue of his extra-marital relationship with the mother of a child at the school, he placed himself in a position where:
a) he was or risked being, unable to fulfil his responsibility to ensure the well-being of the pupil; and/or
b) there was a clear risk of a conflict of interest, or the perception of a conflict of interest, between his personal interests and his role as headtacher and/or designated safeguarding officer.
Mr Rees denies an allegation that in or around July 2018, in response to a pregnant colleague querying a decision he had made, he told her, “that will teach you to open your legs” (“dyna ddysgu ti i agor dy goesau”) or words to that effect.
The hearing continues.
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