Publication date: 27 March 2025

A Fitness to Practise Committee of the Education Workforce Council (EWC), sitting remotely on 20 March 2025, has found an allegation of ‘unacceptable professional conduct’ and ‘a relevant offence’ proved against school learning support worker, Rosie Garfield.   

The Committee found that Ms Garfield:

1. on or around 25 January 2024, applied for registration with the Education Workforce Council as a School Learning Support Worker, and indicated in the declarations section that they did not have any convictions, when this was incorrect.

Having made this finding, the Committee also decided that the conduct was dishonest, lacked integrity and amounted to ‘unacceptable professional conduct’.

2. on 8 December 2023, was convicted of driving a motor vehicle with excess alcohol on 21 November 2023, after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in their breath, namely 40 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, exceeded the prescribed limit, contrary to S.5(1)(a) of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Ms Garfield was sentenced to a 14-month driving disqualification, fined £80, ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £32.

Having made this finding, the Committee decided that the conduct amounted to a relevant offence.

The Fitness to Practise Committee imposed a Suspension Order (without conditions) on Ms Garfield’s registration as a school learning support worker for a period of 12 months (from 20 March 2025 to 20 March 2026). As such, Ms Garfield will not be able to work as a school learning support worker in a maintained school or non-maintained special school in Wales for the period of the Order.

Ms Garfield has a right of appeal to High Court within 28 days.