**Teacher Accused of Drinking Alcohol and Hosting ‘Rave-Style’ Lesson, Pupils Claim at Welsh Hearing**
A secondary school teacher faces serious allegations after students testified that she consumed a drink smelling of alcohol and played music for the class to dance to, creating a so-called ‘rave-like’ atmosphere during a lesson. The claims, heard by the Education Workforce Council (EWC) in Wales, have shone a spotlight on concerns about professional conduct within schools.
On the second day of the remote professional standards hearing, a 16-year-old student — anonymised as Pupil H — gave detailed evidence about the erratic behaviour of their teacher, Alice Ashton, during a personal and social education (PSE) lesson at Ysgol Bro Caereinion in Welshpool. According to the student, Ashton was seen drinking an orange-coloured liquid from what appeared to be an Evian water bottle throughout the class, which emitted a noticeable alcoholic aroma.
Describing the experience, Pupil H said the lesson was unlike any previous one, asserting that Ashton was unusually cheerful, animated, and inclined to play loud music as she encouraged pupils to dance the Macarena. The teacher’s sudden change in demeanour did not go unnoticed. “She was very lively, speaking and gesticulating with her hands, which wasn’t how she usually conducted herself in other lessons,” said the pupil. The lesson, typically centred on topics like alcohol and drug awareness, veered off script that day, shifting towards what several students described as a ‘mini rave’.
Matters escalated when Ashton reportedly became agitated. The student told the EWC panel that the teacher not only swore at individual students but also at the whole class, deploying derogatory terms and making obscene hand gestures. One incident involved Ashton raising her middle finger close to a student’s face and issuing threats with further swearing when pupils did not comply with her requests.
The class, by all accounts, became disordered. According to accounts gathered during the school’s subsequent investigation, Ashton at one point directed her anger towards a pupil who played an unapproved song on the teacher’s laptop. She responded by yelling and using strong language. In another episode, a student described by the pseudonym Pupil G was told to leave the room, but also admonished to “not snitch”, accompanied by more inappropriate language and gestures.
Ashton did not attend the hearing, nor was she represented. In earlier correspondence, she informed the council that she had resigned her post and relocated to England, and no longer intends to work as a teacher. The panel heard that Ashton had denied the allegations when previously interviewed by the school, particularly disputing the use of foul language and singing to the class. However, CCTV footage reviewed by the committee was said to contradict these denials, with the presenting officer, Lewis Harrison, stating the video made it ‘untenable’ for Ashton to claim she had only quietly played music towards the end of the lesson.
Other students provided corroborating accounts, further reinforcing the claims of disorder. One pupil stated, “She was talking less formally, using swear words. It felt like a mini-rave – loud music, shouting, and dancing.” Another remembered Ashton telling pupils to “sit the f*** down” and generally acting ‘crazy’ and unlike a teacher.
The school had tested the bottle’s contents for alcohol, but because they did not have a formal alcohol testing policy, the results were not officially considered. Nevertheless, the overwhelming testimony from students indicated that Ashton appeared to be under the influence during the lesson in question.
Alice Ashton is facing several allegations before the EWC, including being under the influence of alcohol at work, using inappropriate and abusive language towards pupils, and making insulting gestures. Additionally, it emerged that Ashton had been previously convicted of drink driving, resulting in a driving ban and community service.
Ysgol Bro Caereinion, a bilingual school accommodating more than 500 pupils, is now at the centre of this high-profile hearing. As with all such proceedings, the panel must ultimately determine whether the allegations amount to professional misconduct, and what consequences, if any, may result for Ashton.
This case raises broader questions about teacher conduct, safeguarding, and the role of professional oversight in the UK education system. The hearing remains ongoing, with a decision expected in due course.