Pictured: Female primary school teacher, 42, sacked over affair with pupil's father and string of 'inappropriate' relationships with other parents

A primary school teacher has been sacked over an affair with a pupil's father and a string of 'inappropriate' relationships with other parents.  

Colleagues raised concerns over Ann Brenen's 'inappropriate' relationships with several parents at Westoe Crown Primary School in South Shields between 2016 and 2017.

An employment tribunal heard she formed a sexual relationship with the father of one child, allowed another to attend a school trip despite reporting him to the police for harassing her, and shared details of a different pupil with a parent they were no longer in contact with.

Mrs Brenen, 42, a mother-of-three, was sacked for gross misconduct in 2018 amid concerns from parents and teachers that she was not properly safeguarding children. 

An online profile on TutorFair suggests she is now working as a £30-an-hour private tutor in the South Sheilds area, and boasts of her 'professional rapport with pupils and parents'.

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Ann Brenen was sacked from Westoe Crown Primary School in South Shields in 2018 amid fears she was not properly safeguarding childrenAfter separating from her husband, Mrs Brenen, who started working at Westoe Crown in 2004, formed a brief relationship with one pupil's dad after meeting him at a parents evening.

Complaints against Ann Brenen related to four children and their parents 

The basis of the complaints centred around four anonymous pupils and their parents.

Pupil D: This child's mother raised concerns that Mrs Brenen was sharing information with Pupil D's father, whom they were not in contact with. The teacher admitted her behaviour was inappropriate.

Pupil E: Mrs Brenen was texting a parent at the school whom she was friends with about their child not doing any homework, and recommended that child was not sent to homework club.

Pupil F: Mrs Brenen engaged in a short sexual relationship with Pupil F's father and later lied about it when asked by the school's headteacher. 

She also 'threatened,' another teacher who commented on the relationship, by pointing out she would be their line manager the following year.

Pupil G: In June 2017, she started a friendship with the father of Pupil G, who was in her class.

She later reported the father to policce for harassing her, but allowed him to go on a school trip as a parent helper.

Mrs Brenen says her 'judgement was impaired at this time'As rumours started to fly, a teaching assistant claimed she saw Mrs Brenen's car outside the father's house.

A committee heard Mrs Brenen lied to the school's headteacher when asked about it, claiming they were only friends. 

She also is said to have 'threatened' another teacher who commented on the relationship, referencing that she would be the other teacher's line manager soon.

Mrs Brenen admitted she 'reacted in anger'.

Employment tribunal papers reveal she became friends with another dad at the school, but later reported him to police for allegedly harassing her.

Despite making the report, she allowed the same father to attend a school trip to help out.

A mother at the school went on to complain that Mrs Brenner was sharing information about her child with their father, whom were they were not in contact with.

Following disciplinary proceedings in 2018, Mrs Brenen, who was considered one of the school's 'Leaders of Learning,' launched an appeal to win back her job, but it failed.

She then filed a claim for unfair dismissal and disability discrimination on the grounds she was depressed. The case was dismissed. 

However, she did not attend displinary proceedings at the school and instead sent in a lengthy letter. 

Employment tribunal papers read: 'A number of the staff indicated but they had concerns about the claimant's unusual behaviour. 

'They all said that the claimant did not say anything to them about any about her depression all medication. 

'They are all attributed how unusual behaviour to the problems in her marriage breakdown. A number of staff brought to their concerns to the attention of the headmaster.' 

The tribunal also heard how she asked other teachers to mark homework for her. 

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Westoe Crown Primary School in South Shields sacked Ann Brenen amid fears of 'inappropriate' relationships with several parents

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Ann Brenen lied to the headteacher at Westoe Crown Primary about sexual relations she had been having with the father of a pupil, according to the hearing

Mrs Brenen, a mother-of-three, claimed this was common among teachers. 

A panel ruled she was guilty of a 'serious breach of the standards expected' of a senior teacher. 

The tribunal judgment stated: 'In her evidence to the tribunal, [Mrs Brenen] said she started a sexual relationship with the father of pupil F, a child at her school. 

'The claimant did not disclose that relationship to the head teacher. She said she did not do so because it only lasted a short time.

'The claimant's inability to recognise safeguarding issues was clearly a serious matter for the respondent. Her actions amounted to gross misconduct.'