A FORMER Tredegar Comprehensive School teacher was struck off the teaching register yesterday, after being dismissed for falling asleep in class and allowing children to play on mobile phones in class.

Rachel Kendell, who taught at the school from September 2003 until her dismissal in September 2008, was banned from teaching by the General Teaching Council for Wales.

The hearing in Cardiff, which Mrs Kendell did not attend and was not represented at, heard that she admitted both of these in her disciplinary hearing and said she was suffering depression. Mrs Kendell had received a final written warning in May 2008.

In a written statement, headteacher Anna Foote said Mrs Kendell initially performed well but in 2006 her mother-in-law died and her absences from school increased.

Mrs Foote said she missed a rehearsal for the school production Grease, attended one of six parents’ evenings in her last year and once told the school she would not be there because she drank half a bottle of whisky the night before and could not drive.

The hearing was told a man, later cautioned for impersonating a police officer, phoned Mrs Foote to say Mrs Kendell would not be at work because she had been in a car accident.

Mrs Foote said this was at Mrs Kendell’s behest because she had a late night working at the man’s pub, hosting karaoke.

She also asked a pupil to be a “looker” for her when she was asleep, and staff could smell alcohol on her.

The committee heard Mrs Kendell phoned her former head of department and shouted at her for providing evidence for the disciplinary hearing.

But allegations that Mrs Kendell sent harassing text messages and spoke inappropriately to pupils about her dismissal were not proven.

The committee, which imposed a prohibition order, was told Mrs Kendell was cautioned in 2007 for destroying or damaging property, and convicted in 1994 for handling stolen goods, obstructing a police officer and driving without a test certificate and insurance.

In 2010, she was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, failing to provide a specimen and driving a vehicle whilst disqualified.