A science teacher at a Croydon special needs school has been banned from teaching after writing an unauthorised employment reference for a colleague who was under investigation over safeguarding concerns.
Michael Duodu, who taught at Bright Minds Creative Academy in Croydon, wrote the reference for a former colleague, referred to as Person A, in November 2023. On the official form, Mr Duodu ticked “no” to boxes asking whether the worker had ever been subject to disciplinary action or safeguarding investigations, and confirmed he was unaware of any reason why the individual should not work with children.
To give the document official weight, Mr Duodu signed off as a member of the school’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and submitted it using his work email address, complete with the school’s logo signature.
Unauthorised reference and safeguarding breach
In reality, Mr Duodu was a classroom teacher, not a member of leadership, and had no authority to issue job references on behalf of the school. Under national safeguarding rules and school policy, official employment references must be verified and issued by senior management or HR teams.
Worse still, the colleague in question had been involved in a safeguarding incident two months prior, in September 2023, and was subject to ongoing disciplinary procedures. Had official school managers completed the form, those safeguarding investigations would have been formally disclosed to prospective employers.
The fake reference came to light in January 2025 during an internal review of email accounts. Mr Duodu was suspended in February 2025 and subsequently sacked following a school disciplinary hearing.
The report reads: “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.”
Claims of a ‘misunderstanding’ 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, and insisted he was unaware of the colleague’s safeguarding record. He added 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 pointed out that the form explicitly asked work-related questions – such as attendance, job performance, and whether the school would re-employ the individual – making it clearly an employment reference.
The panel found Mr Duodu guilty of dishonesty, lack of integrity, and unacceptable professional conduct, ruling that his actions had placed children at potential risk of harm.
Government overrules panel to issue ban
The TRA panel initially recommended against banning Mr Duodu from the classroom, 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 lenient recommendation and ordered an immediate ban.
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.
