Wakefield teacher banned after taking pupils on 100mph test ride in Audi RS3 sports car

Cheryl Smith, a teacher at Denby Grange School in Wakefield, put three children and a colleague at "serious risk of harm" when she sped down a wet country lane in June 2019, a misconduct panel found.

The professional teacher's misconduct panel was told Mrs Smith did not have permission to take the pupils out on a "test drive" in what was described in hearing papers as a "high performance" Audi RS3.

It was said that Mrs Smith, who taught English at the school, was known to have previously taken pupils on field trips to car dealerships to see stationary vehicles.

The panel heard: "Mrs Smith drove up and down the road three times, with each pupil taking it in turns to be in the front. Mrs Smith stated that she never went over 70mph.

"Mrs Smith believed that, as the car in question was an Audi RS3 and can reach 0-60mph within 4.2 seconds, it would seem a lot faster than an average car."

The panel rejected these claims however, and heard from witnesses that when told to slow down by a colleague also in the vehicle, Mrs Smith "laughed".

Mobile phone footage taken by one of the pupils in the car was also reported to have shown the speedometer at 102mph.

One witness, described as "witness C", confirmed to the panel that under "no circumstances" would the school be in a position to arrange for any pupils to participate in a test drive with a high-performance car and nor would this have been something the school would ever permit.

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Witness C further stated that while Mrs Smith claimed her insurance covered the high performance car, that this insurance documentation "was not provided".

Mrs Smith did not attend the hearing, which concluded on March 5 and in her absence the panel found her guilty of unacceptable professional conduct.

She has been banned from teaching indefinitely, although will be allowed to apply to have the order lifted in March 2027.