Leeds English teacher faked illness to take up new job at Bradford Academy

A teacher in Leeds who pretended to be sick in order to work at another school has escaped a ban.

Nadeem Ahmed worked at Bradford Academy for more than three weeks in September 2023 after telling Bishop Young CofE Academy, in Leeds, he was unwell, a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) misconduct panel found.

Following a hearing in May, the misconduct panel said that his behaviour “fell significantly short of the standards expected,” but opted not to impose a teaching ban, stating that publication of the panel's findings would be “sufficient to send an appropriate message.”

The panel concluded that while Mr Ahmed's actions were an “on-going and deliberate course of dishonest conduct,” it was “not the most serious,” having arisen in a particular set of circumstances when he was “feeling under particular stress.”

“Whilst it had found the dishonesty to be serious, the panel, when adopting the required nuanced approach to dishonesty, considered that this was not the most serious dishonesty, arising as it did in one particular situation, over a relatively limited time period and in the context of Mr Ahmed feeling under particular stress,” the TRA report said.

“Mr Ahmed was not, for example, seeking to gain any financial advantage by his actions, but was rather trying to find a way out of the situation in which he had found himself (albeit one of his own making). He had not fully thought through the implications of his dishonest actions and the need always to be open and transparent.”

The panel heard how Mr Ahmed had been working as an English teacher at Bishop Young CofE Academy since October 2020, but in March 2023 he was interviewed and offered the role of full-time Religious Education subject lead at Bradford Academy.

In June 2023, he submitted his resignation to Bishop Young but was told he had missed the May 31 deadline for leaving at the end of term, and so his last day would be December 31, 2023. In response, Mr Ahmed told the school he thought, for various reasons, it would be better for him to leave sooner rather than later.

According to the TRA report, the school agreed he could leave that summer if they were able to find a replacement, but when no replacement was appointed, made clear he remained employed. Instead of returning to work, Mr Ahmed began reporting in sick.

Mr Ahmed began working at Bradford Academy in August 2023 and told Bishop Young he was unfit to work, later submitting multiple Statutory Statement of Fitness for Works, covering the period from September 7 to October 24, 2023.

His dishonesty was uncovered when he told another teacher at Bradford Academy he had previously worked at Bishop Young Academy, the teacher said he had a friend who worked there and later mentioned this to his friend.

The TRA report added: “The panel was of the view that Mr Ahmed never had any intention to serve his required notice period at the School if no replacement could be found for him. Instead, he had taken up his new role with the Bradford Academy Trust and made a deliberate decision not to appear for work at the School.

“He had made a conscious decision to report in as unwell, including to supply Statutory Statements of Fitness for Work which stated he was not fit to work when, in fact, he was well enough to work. The panel found that he intentionally took this course to deliberately conceal he had taken up his new full-time role.”

During the hearing, one witness told the panel that Mr Ahmed had been a committed teacher and had made a “significant improvement to the outcomes of GCSE students he had taught.” She also noted he had made a particular difference to the lives of disadvantaged pupils.

In her statement she referenced his “fantastic work, commitment, honesty and reliability” and how “students and staff were benefitting from his expertise and support in whole school improvement.”

Mr Ahmed was suspended from his position at Bradford Academy in September 2023. He later admitted the facts of the allegations to the TRA.