A teacher from Kings Lynn has been banned from the country's classrooms for giving students other people's work for their exam portfolios.

Tina Van Wouw, 33, who taught at Springwood High School, was found guilty of 'unacceptable professional conduct' by a teachers disciplinary panel in Coventry.

The National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) panel found she supplied one or more year 12 photography pupils with work of other students to use in their portfolios as if it was their own.

It was told that up to 70pc of pupils' sketchbooks had contained work belonging to others.

In its findings, the panel said: 'Considered that on the balance of probabilities it is was more likely than not that Miss Van Wouw handed the work of current or former pupils to one or more of the year 12 photography pupils for use in their sketchbooks/portfolios to be included as if it was their own.'

Miss Van Wouw, who began teaching at the school in September 2013, was dismissed for gross malpractice in February 2015 following the matter.

It came to light after a pupil discovered their own work in another student's portfolio.

The panel said it considered her actions as 'dishonest' and that her conduct could bring the teaching profession into disrepute.

Imposing the ban, Jayne Millions, NCTL head of teacher misconduct, said she agreed with the panel that Miss Van Wouw's actions 'fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession'.

But she said the panel had considered that Miss Van Wouw was capable of gaining insight into the appropriateness of her actions to ensure that such conduct was not repeated.

She added that in those circumstances, the way should be left open for Miss Van Wouw to apply to have the ban lifted after two years.

But it was made clear that before the ban was ever lifted, Miss Van Wouw will have to prove to another panel that she is fit to return to teaching.