The Prime Minister and the education secretary have acknowledged the scandal of a woman who smuggled drugs into prison being allowed to teach children.
Earlier this year, an investigation by journalist Suzanne Antelme revealed that drug smuggler Laura Horton had been teaching children.
Horton worked for Remedicare, based in Wokingham, which provides alternative education provision outside of a school setting.
Alternative Provision is arranged by local authorities or schools due to reasons like exclusion, illness, or complex social and emotional challenges.
Pupils were sent by Reading Borough Council to be taught by Horton and the company.
Horton, 40, of Gloucester Road, Aldershot, was sentenced to two years and two months in prison for the supply of a controlled drug on at least 20 occasions.
This involved Horton supplying inmates at prisons across the country with the Class B drug Spice, which is synthetic cannabis.
The report also found that Horton was involved with Remedicare after being charged in October 2024 and pleading guilty in May this year.
Horton was listed as the director of the company when it was founded in June 2023.
The scandal was acknowledged by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during a visit to St Anne’s Catholic Primary School in Caversham.
Sir Keir said: “In this particular case, I think the individual has been convicted and it’s obviously a terrible case, and as I understand, they’re not involved in the provision of education anymore, but that is really in terms of the safeguards, we’re putting in a tighter safeguard procedure and guidelines.”
Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, said: “We’re working with Ofsted on this, and it’s right that they now investigate the situation.”
Remedicare was able to avoid regulation as it is an ‘unregistered’ alternative provision, which means that it is not registered as a school because it does not provide a consistent level of teaching hours.
But that also means it avoids Ofsted inspections as an out-of-school setting.
However, as Mrs Phillipson stated, Ofsted will investigate Remedicare.
Following the scandal, the regulation and inspections of out-of-school settings and unregistered alternative provision have been discussed.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is making its way through Parliament, which involves provisions for child safeguarding at schools, alternative provision and home schooling.
The bill is currently in a report stage in the House of Lords. After the Lords approve the legislation, it will receive Royal Assent from King Charles III and be made into law.
The visit to St Anne’s Catholic Primary took place as the Labour government announced an expansion of its Free Breakfast Clubs initiative today (Thursday, November 20).
PM Sir Keir is the Labour MP for Holborn & St Pancras, and Mrs Phillipson is the Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South.
