A teacher has been found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child following a two-week trial at Manchester Crown Court.
Rebecca Joynes, 30, was also found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.
Joynes had denied she had sex with one schoolboy, boy A, and insisted in court that her relationship with a second teenager, boy B, only began once he had left school and she had been fired from her job – so it wasn’t illegal.
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A teacher accused of having sex with two teenage boys laughed and said “Oh shut up! Stop saying that!” when one of them told her he wasn’t old enough to drive, a court heard.
Rebecca Joynes also became pregnant by one of the teenagers, referred to as Boy B, while she was on bail for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old known as Boy A, the jury was told.
The 30-year-old is on trial accused of six counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child, including two while being a person in a position of trust.
On the second day of her trial on Wednesday, the jury was shown a video of an interview Boy A gave to police officers.
He told police he first began interacting with Joynes by phone after she gave him 10 of the 11 digits of her mobile number.
Boy A was then able to work out the missing digit to make contact with her.
Within days they were exchanging Snapchat messages and after finishing school on a Friday afternoon he went home, changed out of his school uniform and Joynes picked him up at a pre-arranged point in her white Audi A1 car.
The police officer asks Boy A in the interview: “What were you wanting to happen?”
He replied: “To be honest, I was not expecting that to happen, what happened. I didn’t expect anything.”
“What were you hoping to happen?” the officer continued.
“I don’t know,” the boy said, adding: “But anyone in my position, when you are my age, my year. If you ever see her – she is good-looking.”
Boy A said he expected to do what had been planned – go to the Trafford Centre and back to her flat.
He said: “I remember her saying you might as well come to her apartment, and I said, I may as well stay.”
She said: “OK. That works for me.”
After picking the youngster up, Joynes then drove to pick her dog up from day care and dropped it off with her parents in Wirral telling the boy she had arranged for them to have it overnight.
He did not see the hand-over to her mother as Joynes parked in another street, “probably because of how young I look”, the boy said.
Boy A told the officer about a conversation on the journey.
He said: “She said something about driving. I went, ‘I wouldn’t know because I’m not old enough,’ and she said, ‘Oh shut up’ laughing, said something like, ‘Stop saying that’ but laughing.”
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After visiting the Trafford Centre, where the youngster said Joynes bought him a £345 Gucci designer belt, they went back to her flat at Salford Quays where they twice had sex, it is alleged.
Rumours began to circulate and a police investigation followed as the defendant was suspended by her school.
She later told police that no sexual activity had taken place with Boy A.
She was subsequently bailed on the condition she have no unsupervised contact with anyone aged under 18.
But it later emerged that Joynes had been in a long-term sexual relationship with Boy B, who she had been in contact with while suspended.
The teenager is the father of Joynes’ young daughter.
Joynes claims sexual activity with Boy B did not start until he turned 16.
Neither boy can be publicly identified by law.
Joynes denies two counts of sexual activity with Boy A, two counts of sexual activity with Boy B and two counts of sexual activity with Boy B while being a person in a position of trust.
A teacher told Sky News he has resorted to gluing his own dentures back together amid a shortage of NHS dentists.
Norman Stephenson, 66, was one of hundreds of people who queued for treatment at Bristol’s newest NHS dental practice, St Pauls.
The office said they enrolled 1,500 people in two days after opening on Monday, but warned they will soon have to turn newcomers away.
Speaking to Sky News on The UK Tonight, the teacher said he’s been taking desperate measures to keep his dentures together while trying to get seen at a practice.
He told Sky’s Sarah Jane-Mee that he has been using hard plastic glue to repair a split in the false teeth, saying: “I tried several super glues but they were too brisk and they kept snapping every time I tried to bite into something.
“I discovered this hard plastic glue that kind of fits with the make-up of my dentistry. It had this movement so it wouldn’t break. I’ve had to use that ever since.
“But every couple of days or so, it finally breaks. So I have to go and do an operation over and over again.”
Mr Stephenson said that in his “desperate situation,” he originally tried to talk to his BUPA dentist who moved practices across Bristol.
The 66-year-old added that he was prepared to drive to his dentist, but said: “I was not allowed to see her and they were just talking about private treatment. So I gave up on that.
“I was told to phone 111, I phoned 111 and they sent me to several dentists, not just a BUPA organisation, gave me numbers, and I tried those and all they were interested in was private patients.
“Some of them said they had enough NHS patients, and really couldn’t take any more, and some just weren’t interested. But I just couldn’t get through.
“So I just practically gave up really. The reason why I’d done that was because these dentures were split in two. I’m an artist and a performer and I need to have my lovely smile.”
Dr Kunal Patel, clinical director of the Love Teeth Dental Practice, also told Sky News: “The reception staff, the team, the dentists, we want to help people like Norman.”
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Image: Dr Kunal Patel, clinical director of the Love Teeth Dental Practice.
The dentist then said: “It’s not the clinics’ choice not to provide NHS treatment. If we’re an NHS practice, we have a certain quota, that we can only see a certain number of patients in.
“If we reach that quota, to see someone like Norman, what I would have to do is call up an existing patient of mine and say ‘Mrs X, do you mind not being a patient of mine anymore?'”
A teenager has denied wounding a teacher who was stabbed in a school corridor in Gloucestershire,
The 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded not guilty to wounding with intent.
However he pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article on school premises.
Teacher Jamie Sansom suffered a single stab wound in the incident in a corridor at Tewkesbury Academy on Monday morning.
Image: Teacher Jamie Sansom was stabbed in a school corridor
He was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and later discharged. He was said to be “recovering well”.
The academy was locked down and two neighbouring schools were also asked to shut their doors as a “precaution” following the incident, Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone of Gloucestershire Police said.
A 15-year-old boy has been charged over the stabbing of a teacher at a school in Gloucestershire.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with attempted wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article on school premises.
He will appear at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
Teacher Jamie Sansom suffered a single stab wound in the incident in a corridor at Tewkesbury School on Monday morning.
He was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and later discharged. He was said to be “recovering well”.
The academy was locked down and two neighbouring schools were also asked to shut their doors as a “precaution” following the incident, Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone of Gloucestershire Police said.
No one else was injured.
Image: Police Officers at the gates of Tewkesbury Academy
The National Police Air Service were deployed to track the suspect down.
The teenager was arrested by armed officers at 11am on Monday.
Mr Sansom said speculation he was intervening in a fight between students was “simply not true”.
In a statement, Mr Sansom said he wanted to “address some misinformation which has been circulating” in coverage of the incident.
“It is simply not true to say that I was intervening in a fight between students,” he said.
“In my view, there was no point at which Tewkesbury students faced any direct threat.
“I am pleased to say that I am recovering well. I was well looked after at Gloucester Royal, and by the police, and I’m grateful for that.
“My thanks to everyone who helped put me on the road to what is expected to be a full recovery.”
A Tewkesbury Academy spokesperson said: “We feel it is important for our students to be able to return to a sense of normality in their school, where we will be providing a range of additional mental and emotional support for students and staff.”
There will be a police presence at the school for the coming days to provide reassurance.
A school run by a headteacher who took her own life after it was downgraded by Ofsted has now been rated as good.
Ruth Perry died in January after Caversham Primary School in Berkshire went from outstanding – the highest rating – to inadequate due to safeguarding concerns.
Her family believes stress associated with the inspection was a major factor in her death.
The tragedy prompted many teachers to call for changes to the inspection system and the end of the one-word grading system.
The school was reinspected on 21 and 22 June and assessed as good in all categories, the second-best rating.
A copy of the report says work “to address previous weaknesses has been swift, thorough and effective”.
“Straight after the last inspection, useful advice was sought from beyond the school,” it adds.
“In particular, this helped leaders to understand fully the extent of the weaknesses in safeguarding arrangements and prioritise what needed to be done.
“Ongoing and determined work has ensured that the improvements made have gone beyond the essential changes that were needed.”
Image: Caversham Primary School has made swift improvements, says Ofsted
The report mentions Ms Perry – and her sister said it shows how Ruth and school staff had quickly turned things around since the November inspection.
Professor Julia Waters added schools “should be given the opportunity to correct any technical weaknesses before the final report is published”.
“An inspection should be about helping schools with independent scrutiny, not catching them out and publicly shaming them,” said Ms Perry’s sister.
“Ofsted’s use of safeguarding as a ‘limiting judgement’, overriding all other strengths and complexities of a school, puts headteachers in that position of constant jeopardy.”
Ofsted boss Amanda Spielman has said the current one-word system should stay, but MPs will look into it as part of an upcoming inquiry into the inspections system.
Ms Spielman also said staff who produced the initial Caversham report were “professional and humane” in their work.
However, it has announced changes – such as giving schools more information on when inspections will happen and a consultation on reforms to the complaints system.
Schools where safeguarding concerns prompt an overall ‘inadequate’ rating, but where other measures are rated good or better, will also now be revisited within three months.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
Every state school in England could face more strikes in the autumn, after teaching unions vowed to coordinate walkouts if they go ahead.
The move means 400,000 members from the National Education Union (NEU), Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), NASUWT and Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) could trigger widespread disruption as part of the long-running dispute over pay.
However, only the NEU currently holds a mandate to strike, with members set to take action on Tuesday. It will re-ballot its members over summer over whether to continue walkouts.
NAHT and the NASUWT teaching union both failed to make the 50% threshold in its latest balloting, and will ask members again ahead of the autumn term.
The ASCL will also ballot its members – the first time in its history.
Asked about the impact of possible co-ordinated strike action at the NAHT’s annual conference in Telford, Mr Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: “I think with our four unions you would find that every state school in England would be affected by the dispute and that would put you up at 300,000-400,000 teachers… involved in taking the action, I would have thought.
“We don’t want to take it. We want to find a solution. But with all four of us acting together I think we will all pass the government’s undemocratic thresholds and so it would be an enormous response from our members.
“We would sincerely apologise to parents for disrupting their children’s education if we’re pushed to that. And we would sincerely apologise to them for disrupting their home and their working lives. However, what we are seeing is disruption in children’s education every week of the school year.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, told the conference: “I have been around a decade and I have never seen the co-ordination that we are seeing here.”
The latest move from teaching unions comes after the government offered teachers a £1,000 one-off payment for this year, as well as a 4.5% pay rise for next year.
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6:30
Schools to face co-ordinated strikes
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All four unions rejected the offer.
A decision on pay for education staff has been given to the independent School Teachers’ Review Body.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “For unions to co-ordinate strike action with the aim of causing maximum disruption to schools is unreasonable and disproportionate, especially given the impact the pandemic has already had on their learning.
“Children’s education has always been our absolute priority, and they should be in classrooms where they belong.
“We have made a fair and reasonable teacher pay offer to the unions, which recognises teachers’ hard work and commitment as well as delivering an additional £2bn in funding for schools, which they asked for.”
Pupils and parents across the country are preparing for disruption on Wednesday as striking teachers at thousands of schools walk out.
At Hazel Community Primary School in Leicester, headteacher Daniel Hansen has made the decision to close to all pupils.
He supports the majority of staff who plan to strike, and is making sure the walkout has maximum impact by not even providing childcare.
Image: Daniel Hansen
Instead, lunch boxes will be made available for pupils entitled to free school meals to collect from the site.
“I think there are two key elements of this,” Mr Hansen said. “There’s the funded pay increase that we want for teachers that matches inflation.
“A huge element is the fact that we have to protect the education sector and the teaching profession going forward.
“We have to do something about it, otherwise nobody will want to become a teacher.”
At the school gate, many parents supported his decision, but others were concerned about who would look after their children on strike day.
Rachel Badzire has never been on strike before and, as a teacher in a special school in Cheshire, she has found the decision to walk out difficult.
Image: Hazel Community Primary School in Leicester
‘Enough is enough’
“I love my children that I teach, and I think it’s a worthwhile job, however I do feel at this point in time it’s good for me to join with other members of my union and show solidarity,” she said.
“We need to put a message out to the government that enough is enough. We don’t have much money, and we need to make sure that we can pay bills and still have a life”.
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4:16
Have previous strikes been successful?
At Cockshut Hill Secondary School in Birmingham, they’ve decided to open to year 11 pupils who have their GCSE exams in the coming months as well as the youngest year group, year 7.
Any other pupils who are vulnerable will be allowed in, but the majority of pupils will have to remain at home.
Luca Duggan and Aya Seid are among the pupils who face a day of online learning. They’re both in year 10.
Image: Aya Seid and Luca Duggan
‘I’m a little stressed about it’
Luca, 14, said: “We get a break off school, but then that may affect our learning, but we’ve got online learning so not too much to worry about really.”
He added it feels “similar” to time off during the pandemic, and said he supports teachers “to an extent”.
“I feel like if that’s what they’re going to have to do to get the pay, then that’s what they’re going to have to do.”
Aya, 14, is more concerned. “It is quite a shame that we don’t get the education that we need,” she said.
“I am a little stressed about it. In school each lesson contains so much knowledge and so much information that could help us get a few extra marks to get a grade 9 in GCSE, but even though we are at home we are getting lots of work to do.”
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6:17
Why are teachers striking?
‘Get around the table and seek a resolution’
Vince Green, the CEO of the Summit Learning Trust that runs Cockshut Hill and seven other schools, is urging the government and unions to reach an agreement so that further planned strikes don’t happen.
“From my point of view we don’t want disruption to the learning of children and young people particularly after the levels of disruption that they’ve had in recent years through no fault of their own,” he said.
“What I’d really like to see if that the adults involved get around the table and seek a resolution prior to next month.”
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Schools minister Nick Gibb has said the government is having “very constructive discussions” on the teachers’ strikes, and has already held several meetings within the department.
“We are still negotiating and discussing issues of pay, of workload, and other issues that are of concern to teachers,” he said.
“It is disappointing the NEU [National Education Union] has decided to go ahead with strikes with all the disruption it causes to children’s education and to families and how they plan their working life.”
