A SACKED teacher was a “disaster” in the classroom according to a former colleague.

Former hairdressing tutor Kathleen Fellows, known as Kate, was sacked from Tudor Grange Academy in Worcester in January, 2010, after one term.

She took the school to a tribunal over unfair dismissal, claiming she had been sacked for speaking out about alleged health and safety breaches.

Mrs Fellows, aged 62, claimed her concerns, including those about a pupil burning herself with curling tongs and a Thai girl who could speak no English, were ignored.

But Colin Barran, representing Tudor Grange at a tribunal in Birmingham yesterday, accused Mrs Fellows of “talking up” the health and safety issues only after her manager criticised her poor teaching.

Thomas Rochford, representing Mrs Fellows, said her client had told senior managers and headteacher Clare Maclean about her concerns but they “fell on deaf ears.”

Stephen Groutage, Mrs Fellows’ former manager, gave testimony criticising her “inability” in class.

The tribunal had previously heard how Mrs Fellows had no teaching qualifications and was originally hired to teach a lower level course.

Mr Groutage called her teaching “a disaster” saying she was “derogatory” and shouted at pupils.

“In one term, the pupils had learned nothing,” he said. Mr Groutage tried to “help and support” Mrs Fellows but later told his boss she was “beyond help.”

He observed one of Mrs Fellows’ lessons in December, 2009, and later had a meeting with her to discuss his concerns.

But he claimed she was unwilling to accept criticism and blamed her pupils.

“She likened them to animals rather than young people,” he said.

He took Mrs Fellows to another BTEC college to see their teaching methods, but her lessons remained “inadequate.”

He said he could not understand why a pupil had been burned in a lesson because Mrs Fellows was supposed to be teaching students health and safety theory, not using the salon classroom.

When Mr Rochford asked why Mr Groutage had not taken away the tongs on safety grounds he said classroom safety was Mrs Fellows’ domain.

Mr Rochford put it to him that he was “glad to see the back of her because of her complaints” but he said he had wanted to help her.

Soon after the meeting Mrs Fellows went off sick with stress. The tribunal will give its findings on Tuesday, June 21.