Supply teacher ignored order to not work with children

A 45-year-old supply teacher, Ceyhan Unluer, has been barred from the profession for at least four years after defying orders to stop working with children during an investigation into her conduct. Unluer, who worked through agencies Tradewind Recruitment and Connex Education in Merseyside and Warrington, admitted she ignored instructions from her first agency in November 2023, continuing to teach at five schools over four days without informing the second agency. The investigation began after concerns were raised in November 2023, leading Tradewind Recruitment to instruct Unluer to halt her work pending a Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) review. Despite this, she secured contracts through Connex Education from November 2023 to January 2024, only revealing her actions in February after Woolston Brook Primary School reported receiving an anonymous tip about her LADO investigation. Unluer claimed she acted out of necessity, stating in an August email to the Teacher Regulation Agency (TRA) that she prioritized her family’s survival. Witnesses testified that she admitted to breaking the rules, describing it as a ‘moral choice’ and saying she ‘got caught.’ The TRA panel ruled she had failed to meet professional obligations by not disclosing the investigation to Connex Education. Unluer’s teaching contracts spanned multiple schools, including Willow Bank School in St Helens and Holy Cross Primary School. Tradewind Recruitment terminated her contract after learning of the LADO probe, but she continued working elsewhere without transparency. The TRA hearing concluded her actions demonstrated a lack of judgment, leading to her four-year professional ban. The case highlights gaps in agency oversight when supply teachers face investigations but remain active in multiple schools. Unluer’s defense centered on financial hardship, though the panel emphasized her duty to disclose the probe to all employers.