Teacher sacked over Ascot trip

Sian Hughes says she booked the day off for Ascot

A teacher who took a day off to go to Royal Ascot has been 'sacked' after her headmaster spotted her on television wearing a colourful hat.

Sian Hughes, 35, was spotted by television cameras sporting a home-made pink, black, green and blue hat made from binbags and newspapers at the popular social calendar event.

The head hauled me into his study and told me he was embarrassed at the publicity

Teacher Sian Hughes

But the next day, headteacher Steve Bowden called her into the office and said her services as a home economics supply teacher were no longer required, a national newspaper reported.

Mrs Hughes, 35, of Taffs Well, near Cardiff, said she had booked last Wednesday off from work at Porth Comprehensive in the Rhondda Valley.

"When I got back to school lots of pupils and other teachers said they enjoyed seeing me in my hat on television," she said.

"But it all turned sour when the headmaster asked me to go into his office and asked me to leave the school.

"He told me he was somewhat embarrassed at the publicity and made it quite clear that he was very annoyed about my hat.

"I was shocked because I knew I had done a good job."

She added: "I apologised profusely and said I wouldn't have agreed to the publicity if I thought it was going to embarrass the school."

It doesn't do anything for staff morale when a teacher suddenly takes a day off out of the blue

Headteacher Steve Bowden

Mr Bowden said: "It doesn't do anything for staff morale when a teacher suddenly takes a day off out of the blue.

"I'd had feedback from staff about the publicity."

Mrs Hughes, a teacher for 11 years, had taught design and technology, GNVQ health, social care and child development at Porth County Comprehensive School, Porth, south Wales, since January.

Mark Hughes, of Millennium Personnel Services, said that Mrs Hughes had been contracted to teach until the end of the July term.

He added that it had given advance notice that she would be unable to work on 21June and that its offer of a replacement teacher had been declined.

Mrs Hughes - who has previously designed headscarves - is now considering a new career as a milliner.