The 27-year-old teacher was caught drink-driving on the motorway almost three times over the limit
Josh Pennington Content editor
06:08, 13 Aug 2025Updated 06:36, 13 Aug 2025
Laurus Ryecroft High School (Image: Google Maps)
A Tameside teacher has been banned from the profession after being caught drink driving.
Sian Hill, 27, worked at Laurus Ryecroft High School in Droylsden when she was caught driving her car on the motorway while almost three times over the legal alcohol limit.
Ms Hill was convicted at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on April 2, 2024, and was sentenced to pay a fine of £392 and was disqualified from driving for 21 months, to be reduced by 21 weeks if she satisfactorily completed a course approved by the Secretary of State by June 7, 2025.
The court heard how Cheshire Police were alerted to a stranded vehicle in the early hours of January 22, 2024.
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A National Highways traffic officer attended and found Ms Hill sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle with a blown tyre.
The traffic officer suspected Ms Hill may have been intoxicated. Ms Hill moved into the driver’s seat and drove a further 100 metres down the motorway.
A police officer arrived, and Ms Hill informed the investigating police officer that she had been drinking vodka but only after the tyre had blown out. Ms Hill was breathalysed at the roadside and provided a reading of 85ug per 100ml of breath. Ms Hill was arrested and at the police station was tested with an evidential breath tester, with the lower of the two readings being 88ug.
Now, a professional conduct panel assembled by the Teaching Regulation Authority has reviewed the case and has decided to issue a banning order, preventing Ms Hill from teaching for at least three years.
It said the “conduct of Ms Hill fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession”.
In a statement issued to the TRA, Ms Hill said: “I would…like to reiterate my previous comments that I am truly sorry and bitterly regret my actions.
“I love teaching and the school and staff have been very supportive and understanding during this period, which has been very difficult. I have stayed professional and not allowed the impending case to affect my performance at school.”
Despite this, the panel’s view was that Ms Hill had “indicated limited remorse and no insight”.
In delivering its decision to issue a prohibition order, the panel said it was in the public interest to ban the Greater Manchester teacher.
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A report published by the TRA states: “The panel decided that the public interest considerations outweighed the interests of Ms Hill.
“The seriousness of the conviction, the lack of insight or mitigation and the importance of maintaining public confidence in the profession were significant factors in forming that opinion.
“The panel considered that Ms Hill had committed a serious driving offence, noting that she had been almost three times over the prescribed alcohol limit, had had her driving licence revoked and had been convicted of a crime. The panel’s view was that this was not a minor offence.
“The panel also found that the seriousness of the offending behaviour that led to the conviction was relevant to Ms Hill’s ongoing suitability to teach. The panel considered that a finding of a conviction for a relevant offence was necessary to reaffirm clear standards of conduct so as to maintain public confidence in the teaching profession.
“Although Ms Hill’s driving offence took place outside of her working hours, the panel considered that it nevertheless touched upon her role as a teacher because it raised a potential safeguarding issue should she in future drive a vehicle carrying children.”