Bogus biology teacher faked qualifications and worked as examiner for an A-Level board

By Emma Reynolds

A bogus biology teacher forged her qualifications to work as an examiner for an A-level exam board.

Julia Rawlinson, 44, duped her bosses by using a computer to forge a degree, doctorate and teaching certificates.

She then got a job at examination board Edexcel – marking thousands of A-level papers for students across Britain – before becoming a teacher at Westlands School in Torquay, Devon.

She is now facing jail after pleading guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation and three forgery charges.

Rawlinson, from Brixham, Devon, admitted the charges at Torbay Magistrates’ Court.

She had shown Westlands School a fake teaching certificate and masters degree and doctorate in science psychology ahead of working there between February and September last year.

She also used fake documents to get a job at the exam board in April 2007.

Prosecutor Alison Jordan said: ‘On October 5, Westlands School contacted police to say one of their teachers, Julia Rawlinson, had provided false degrees in order to obtain a teaching position.

‘The school contacted the university and was told those bore no resemblance to their certificates and were poor forgeries.’

Police arrested her and found the forged degrees at her home – a biochemistry degree from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, a fake doctorate from Glasgow Caledonian University and a fake teacher certificate from the General Teaching Council for England.

Cheating: Ms Rawlinson was caught after she started working at Westlands School in Torquay, pictured

She admitted to forging them using graphics from the Internet and said she had never completed a degree.

Her defence lawyer Jolyon Tuck said she had mental health issues but she has been committed to the Crown Court in Exeter for sentencing later this month.

A spokesman for Edexcel said Ms Rawlinson had started work for them in 2007.

‘We are appalled,’ he said. ‘She would have marked exam papers. She may have marked one or a small number or a larger number, we don’t know.

Giving out grades: Unqualified Ms Rawlinson marked thousands of A-Level papers for students across Britain when she worked for exam board Edexcel

‘She was getting away with it for a while.’

Westlands School headteacher Dr Colin Kirkman said: ‘Julia was chief examiner for A level biology with the Edexcel exam board.

‘The board offered us her help and support prior to the summer with A-level biology project work, which we accepted.

‘We understand she also worked in at least two other schools in this area in this capacity.

‘Julia was offered a temporary part-time contract to work at Westlands from September 1 teaching A-level science.

‘The normal CRB checks were undertaken and references received prior to employment

‘However we noticed that her exam certificates were photocopies. As a result, we immediately contacted the universities where she “gained” her qualifications to validate her certificates.

‘We found they were forgeries and reported this to the police.

‘Torbay children’s services commended us for the extensive checks that we made – the depth of the checks that exam boards and other organisations failed to make.’

Edexcel said that markers do not grade entire exam papers, but said they would be looking closely at the matter and reviewing all the exam papers that could have been affected.

A spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that a marker was contracted for marking services by Edexcel for various examinations over the past four years.  Based on information we have now received, she will not be contracted again in future.

‘The individual was not a chief examiner, as has been reported.  Markers do not play no role in setting any questions.

‘Given ongoing proceedings, we do not wish to comment further on the individual circumstances.’

Source: Daily Mail