A DRUG dealing teacher who was convicted of supplying cocaine has been banned from the classroom.

Stephanie Szymanska, a former Colchester Sixth Form College teacher turned criminology student, was banned from teaching by a professional conduct panel after admitting supplying the class A drug.

The 36-year-old was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for two years, in 2022.

Teaching Regulation Agency records published on Monday reveal Szymanska resigned from her job at the college shortly after she was arrested in 2021.

Gazette: Stephanie Szymanska, 36, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court in 2022Stephanie Szymanska, 36, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court in 2022 (Image: Newsquest)

Last month, a misconduct panel heard how the conviction was “very much considered to be out of character” for the former teacher.

In her evidence, Szymanska said she had never been in trouble with the police before and that she’d found this experience “very traumatic”.

She has committed to rebuilding her life, a report added, working “many hours to pay her mortgage and bills” while completing a part-time master’s degree in sociology and criminology.

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Szymanska has been banned from teaching at any school, sixth form college, or children’s home in England for at least three years because “her conduct ran counter to what should have been at the very core of her practice as a teacher”.

After three years, she will be allowed to apply for her ability to teach to be reinstated.

Decision maker Sarah Buxcey wrote: “The panel considered that Ms Szymanska’s behaviour in committing the offence could undoubtedly affect public confidence in the teaching profession, particularly given the influence that teachers may have on pupils, parents and others in the community.”

The panel felt the ex-teacher’s involvement with class A drugs would reduce the confidence parents and the community have in teachers and could set a bad example to pupils.

Appearing at Ipswich Crown Court in 2022, the former teacher, then of Wimpole Road, Colchester, was also ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work and 25 days of rehabilitation activities.

She was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £156.

Colchester Sixth Form College has confirmed to the Gazette the ex-teacher, who was subject to "all of the usual checking processes", worked at the college for less than a term and "was not teaching at the college when the incident occurred".

A spokesman said: "We were only made aware of any concern when the person involved was arrested. At that point all teaching ceased and the person resigned with immediate effect.

"The college has the highest professional expectations of all staff and takes such matters extremely seriously.

"We followed appropriate procedures throughout and without delay, including referring this matter to the Teaching Regulation Agency at the time, initiating a process that has concluded with the publication of this report."