A headteacher has been banned from teaching after she amended test papers and improperly used school money for first class train tickets and hotel accommodation.

Adele Simpson, from Brighouse, used school funds to stay at a luxury London hotel for a training course and to pay for boozy weekends for colleagues she was friendly with.

A tribunal heard there was an ‘in crowd’ of staff members at Moorside Community Primary School, Halifax, who were treated differently by Mrs Simpson.

One member of staff said she felt pressured by Mrs Simpson and her friends within the school to attend team building events and she thought these events “were simply an excuse for a ‘boozy night’ with Mrs Simpson.”

One teacher was told by Mrs Simpson that there wasn’t enough money for pencils and blinds to enable pupils to see the whiteboard, a panel of the National College for Teaching and Leadership was told.

A witness told the panel that Mrs Simpson broke guidelines by opening test papers before exams and would rub out wrong answers and put in correct ones before the papers were sent for marking.

Another witness said the headteacher showed favouritism towards staff who were part of an ‘in crowd.’

The witness said those in ‘the clique’ were given ‘carte blanche’ to do as they liked and were not subject to random lesson observations.

Morale was so low by the time Mrs Simpson was dismissed from her job that seven out of 11 classes were being taught by supply teachers, the tribunal heard.

The panel found Mrs Simpson – who denied all the charges against her but did not attend the panel hearing – guilty of unacceptable professional conduct.

It said: “In the panel’s view, Mrs Simpson’s actions did constitute conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.

“For example, she authorised school funds to be used for unnecessary first class train travel and hotel accommodation, when some staff had limited teaching resources.

“In addition, she sought to avoid compliance with the School’s Manual and other financial processes, and failed to support staff in their roles.

“Mrs Simpson’s conduct in relation to the SATs process led to some pupils’ marks being annulled. The panel viewed this as very damaging to the public perception of the teaching profession.”

The panel banned Mrs Simpson from teaching indefinitely and ruled that she will not be allowed to apply for restoration of her eligibility to teach.

Mrs Simpson’s employment at the school was terminated in August 2015 following an investigation by Calderdale Council and the Standards and Testing Agency.

She has 28 days to appeal the panel’s decision.