Michael Duodu, a science teacher at Bright Minds Creative Academy in Croydon, has been banned from teaching indefinitely after writing an unauthorised employment reference for a colleague facing safeguarding investigations.
In November 2023, Mr Duodu completed an official reference form for a former colleague who was undergoing disciplinary procedures and safeguarding scrutiny. On the form, he ticked “no” to questions about disciplinary action and safeguarding investigations, and stated he was unaware of any reason the individual should not work with children.
To lend the document credibility, Mr Duodu signed it as a member of the school’s Senior Leadership Team and used his work email with the school’s official logo. In reality, he was a classroom teacher with no authority to issue employment references on behalf of Bright Minds Creative Academy. Under national safeguarding rules and school policy, such references must be verified and issued by senior management or HR teams.
Safeguarding incident concealed
The colleague in question had been involved in a safeguarding incident two months before the reference was written, in September 2023, and was subject to ongoing disciplinary procedures. Had the school’s official management team completed the form, those safeguarding investigations would have been formally disclosed to prospective employers.
The reference came to light in January 2025 during an internal review of email accounts. Mr Duodu was suspended in February 2025 and subsequently dismissed following a school disciplinary hearing.
The school’s report concluded: “Providing assurance of a colleague’s suitability to work with children without being in possession of the necessary information, and failing to obtain it, fell significantly short of the standards expected of a teacher.”
Teacher’s defence rejected
At a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) hearing, Mr Duodu claimed he believed he was providing a personal character reference rather than an official work reference. He also insisted he was unaware of the colleague’s safeguarding record and argued that because he was one of the few fully qualified teachers at the academy, he considered himself to hold a senior role.
The regulatory panel rejected his defence. They noted that the form explicitly asked work-related questions about attendance, job performance, and whether the school would re-employ the individual, making it clearly an employment reference, not a personal character assessment.
The panel found Mr Duodu guilty of dishonesty, lack of integrity, and unacceptable professional conduct, concluding his actions had placed children at potential risk of harm.
Government overrules lenient recommendation
Initially, the TRA panel recommended against banning Mr Duodu, describing his actions as an isolated “misguided attempt to assist a professional colleague” and noting that he had shown remorse.
However, David Oatley, deciding on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, overruled the panel’s recommendation and ordered an immediate ban from teaching. Mr Oatley concluded that providing a false reference for a staff member involved in safeguarding checks was a critical failure that risked putting vulnerable children in danger and threatened public trust in the teaching profession.
Mr Duodu is now banned from teaching indefinitely in any school, college, or children’s home in England. He will not be eligible to apply for the ban to be lifted until October 2028.
