A teacher who shared details of her nights out drinking with pupils has been banned from the classroom.
Natasha Blackmore, 36, formerly head of design technology at Westfield Academy in Yeovil, Somerset, told students she had attended a hen party where she “vaped and drank”.
A professional conduct panel from the Teaching Regulation Agency banned her indefinitely, citing “unacceptable professional conduct”.
Up to five students regularly visited Blackmore during breaks and lunchtimes for informal conversations. One pupil said she treated them more like friends than students. At a hearing on March 24, the panel found she had disclosed “significant inappropriate details” about her personal life.
Blackmore also communicated with pupils via social media group chats and arranged to meet them during school holidays.
During the school’s investigation, one student — referred to as Pupil A — said Blackmore had invited the group to meet her dog outside of school time. The pupil added that the teacher spoke about attending a hen party where she “got really drunk” and was “vaping and smoking”.
Pupil A said the relationship initially seemed harmless but later became “some kind of weird relationship” where they shared “everything” with each other.
Another pupil said students would regularly spend breaks and lunchtimes in Blackmore’s classroom, discussing topics such as their day, behaviour, home life, friendships, and arguments — described in the report as “normal” conversations.
Blackmore said the students had been supportive following the death of her dog, stating: “If it hadn’t been for those students and the support they showed me after I lost my dog, I don’t think I would have come back to work properly due to the way I was feeling.”
She admitted to unacceptable professional conduct and failing to maintain appropriate boundaries, including joining a pupil’s Instagram group chat and arranging to meet them outside school. The panel found this breached the staff code of conduct.
One parent said they had never suspected anything inappropriate and described Blackmore as “a really good teacher”.
She has been banned from teaching indefinitely but can apply for the decision to be reviewed after two years.