A ONE-TIME Olympic martial arts hopeful turned school teacher who helped a student cheat on three exams has been banned from the classroom.

In March 2021, Adam Lowery provided a boy known as pupil A with questions and the marking scheme for physics, chemistry and biology tests that would go on to inform his GCSE grade.

After a teacher regulation agency (TRA) panel found his actions to warrant unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that brought the teaching profession into disrepute, Mr Lowery, who taught at Rainford High School, has been banned from teaching for life. The 53-year-old may appeal the sanction in two years.

For a period of time, the former science teacher was the second-highest ranked judoka in Great Britain and a full time athlete.

With GCSE exams suspended owing to the coronavirus pandemic three years ago, grades for year 11 students were informed by internal testing and teacher’s marks.

A TRA panel was told earlier this month how the boy Mr Lowery helped was expected to achieve relatively standard grades.

Two days of hearings were told he scored 44 out of a possible 45 on two out of three exams and 41 out of 46 on a third.

Prior to this, he had been provided with exam questions and the marking scheme by Mr Lowery, who would go on to invigilate the physics exam pupil A took part in.

Concerns were first raised by three teachers independently who identified pupil A’s exam marks as “extraordinarily high” and that answers were similar to those within the documents made available to staff only.

Richard Spedding, the school’s head of physics, brought the matter to the attention of leadership.

Pupil A was interviewed who said he had achieved the grades “through hard work” before backtracking and claiming to have got the answers online.

He said this was due to the “pressure to do well.”

Mr Lowery was also interviewed on the same day and said he had prepared all pupils in the same way but had created preparation for pupil A online.

It transpired later he had in fact given pupil A a pack and told him how to answer the questions.

The hearings were told the former teacher – who resigned in May 2021 – initially lied as he was “terrified” of the situation. Pupil A’s results on the three tests were ultimately disregarded for his final GCSE mark.

Questioned by his advocate, Jonathan Storey, Mr Lowery said he felt he had let down the community and the school through his behaviour in a “moment of madness and stupidity.”

He added: “Not a moment goes by where I don’t regret it but I can’t turn the clock back.”

He said he “deeply regretted the shame brought on all parties concerned.” Mr Storey said his client had “developed a sense of embarrassment” and “accepts he acted as no teacher should.”

Presenting officer Shannon O’Connor said Mr Lowery had “deliberately and knowingly” given pupil A the answers and there was “no doubt” he knew his actions were dishonest. Ms O’Connor argued Mr Lowery’s behaviour had gone against the “basic moral activity expected from teachers.”

Mr Storey said the former science teacher still had a “huge amount to offer” to the profession and was a professional who had spent “three years in exile” since the incident in 2021. Recalling testimonies from former colleagues, Mr Storey said his client had previously “demonstrated excellent professional judgement.”

In a written judgement outlining Mr Lowery’s ban, the TRA said the panel noted it was not an isolated, one-off incident but involved “a continuing act of dishonesty.”

While his regret for the actions was recognised, the statement added: “The panel was mindful that members of the teaching profession are in a position of trust and are expected to act with integrity and honesty and set a positive example for pupils to aspire to. Mr Lowery’s conduct was entirely contrary to this.”

As a result, he is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. This can be reviewed no earlier than July 2026.