A headteacher struck off for changing pupils’ exam papers has blamed the ‘immense pressure’ of SATS tests and the fear of Ofsted for his actions.

Jeremy Morgan, who had been headteacher of St John’s Primary School in Rochdale since 2011 and a teacher for 40 years, was banned from teaching indefinitely after changing a number of children’s exam papers in May 2014.

Speaking exclusively to the M.E.N., Mr Morgan, who is known as Jed, said he acted in a ‘moment of pure madness’ when the pressure of SATS examinations and an impending Ofsted inspection became too much.

The 62-year-old said: “I accept full responsibility for everything.

Jed Morgan handing in a petition to 10 Downing Street in 2005 to prevent the deportation of pupils and their families

“I don’t want to blame anyone else for what I did. I was suffering with anxiety and I didn’t realise how bad it had become.

“I was under immense pressure at the time. It’s still a foggy picture.

“It was never about me. It was wanting the best for the school at the time.”

Mr Morgan had been due to retire in 2014 and wanted to help the school make a ‘smooth transition’ to new leadership.

“I didn’t want to make a fuss, I just wanted to leave quietly,” he said.

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During his time as headteacher, St John’s had become one of the most diverse primary schools in Rochdale.

Mr Morgan had always celebrated the school’s diversity, but said he became increasingly concerned with the government’s emphasis on national assessments and statistics.

He said: “St John’s was always a challenging school to manage.

“It was a Catholic school but we’d always been very inclusive.

“I was very involved in the safety of the children and the job never stopped at the end of the school day.

“The school took in children and families from all different parts of the world.

“They all needed education and security in their lives.

“Now schools are measured almost exclusively on their results in reading, writing and Maths, with little regard for the needs of children who are vulnerable.

“A pencil and paper test assessment is not a suitable way of measuring the progress and achievement of children of that nature.

“It just became more and more that the school was measured on these very narrow statistics.”

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Mr Morgan said he became increasingly stressed about an impending Ofsted inspection, and feared the school would be seen as failing based on its statistics.

He was being treated for anxiety by his GP but said he felt a responsibility to keep going into school.

“When you’re a leader you’re not allowed to admit any weakness,” he said.

“As a head you have to know about everything.

“You have to be seen to be in control of everything and to remain calm at all times.

“I was taking on more and more, and with changes to leadership it was not getting easier.

“All I wanted was to finish the year off in the best possible way for the school.”

Read more: Headteacher banned from the classroom after altering children's exam papers

Mr Morgan claims the the strain became too much and in a ‘moment of sheer madness’, he altered a number of pupil’s test papers.

He maintains he cannot remember much about the incident due to his anxiety, but said he regretted his actions immediately.

He said: “It was not premeditated. It was sheer frustration with the whole thing.

“It’s an inappropriate measurement to say a school would fail because of those narrow statistics.

“I was worried that the school would be seen to fail.

“I had always been extremely professional. I had been a professional person for 40 years.

“That incident was a snapshot of when things went pear-shaped. A mad moment of pressure.

“If no one has had a mad moment of pressure they are not telling the truth.

“It has been hard. It’s as though 40 years of my teaching career were wiped out in that moment.

“All those children I’ve taught, all the positives. Gone.”

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A National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) panel found Mr Morgan guilty of unacceptable professional conduct.

He was struck off indefinitely but can seek to have the ban lifted in five years.

Mr Morgan believes more should be done to support headteachers and teachers under stress in the profession.

He added: “They said in the hearing it was not possible that my judgement could have been impaired because I was so experienced.

“But I don’t think that’s fair at all.”

Mr Morgan said assessments should include other factors of child’s school life.

“It should be about happy children achieving in a relevant, broad curriculum.

“One that’s practical and relevant to cope with life, where creativity isn’t stifled and art is important.

“St John’s celebrated all of those things.”