Nicholas Martin, formerly Head of Sixth Form at St Edward’s School in Cheltenham, has been banned indefinitely from teaching following revelations that he lied about his qualifications and age. The private school, which charges around £25,000 per year, launched an investigation after spotting inconsistencies in Martin’s application for Deputy Head (Operations and Compliance).
Martin, 43, falsely claimed to hold a Master’s degree in history from the University of Cambridge. In reality, his Master’s was from Lancaster University. He even fabricated a Cambridge degree certificate, which he presented to the school. Further scrutiny revealed that he misrepresented his date of birth by several years, initially stating 1987 instead of his actual birth year, 1982, and bizarrely claiming to be born as recently as 2012 on an earlier application. He also falsely asserted that he served as a magistrate about once a month, a claim disproven by court records.
The school followed proper procedures after uncovering the discrepancies. The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) conducted a thorough investigation which determined Martin’s actions were deliberate and sustained. At a disciplinary hearing, Martin admitted to dishonesty, explaining that his motive was to appear “younger, more dynamic and more fun.”
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Despite an attempt to explain the 2012 birth date as a typo, the TRA found that most of Martin’s misconduct was planned, resulting in a serious breach of professional ethics and damage to the profession’s reputation. Consequently, Martin received a prohibition order barring him from all teaching or related roles with children in England for an indefinite period. He may apply to have the ban lifted after two years.
St Edward’s headteacher Anna Sandford-Squires emphasized the school’s commitment to integrity, transparency, and safeguarding. She stated that the school acted responsibly by informing authorities when concerns arose, and that they remain dedicated to maintaining the trust of pupils, parents, and the community.