Teacher Who Lied About Cambridge Degree Banned From Teaching

Published: 18 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

A senior teacher in England has been banned from the profession after it emerged he lied about his academic credentials and personal details on multiple job applications. The decision, announced this week, came after a disciplinary panel ruled that his conduct undermined the integrity expected of educators.

Nicholas Martin, 43, who taught at St Edward’s School in Cheltenham since 2006 and later became head of sixth form, was found to have fabricated a Master’s degree from the University of Cambridge — a claim that was contradicted by checks with the university itself. In addition to this false qualification, discrepancies in his documents exposed further misleading statements about his date of birth and public roles.

The professional conduct panel at the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) heard that Mr Martin had repeatedly supplied false information in applications for senior roles, including incorrectly stating his birth year as five years younger than his actual age. In one earlier form, he even listed a date that would have made him just 12 years old, raising immediate questions about his credibility.

As part of his applications, Martin also claimed to serve as a magistrate on a regular basis — a role that checks with HM Courts and Tribunals Service confirmed he had not held. After further scrutiny, the University of Cambridge confirmed that the degree certificate he provided was not genuine, and that the course he cited was not offered by the institution.

During a disciplinary hearing, Martin admitted that he had acted dishonestly, acknowledging that he provided misleading birth information, fabricated a degree certificate, and falsely claimed judicial experience. Despite the panel noting that Martin had worked in education for many years without prior disciplinary records, it concluded that his conduct “fell significantly short” of the standards expected of teachers.

As a result, Martin has been indefinitely banned from teaching in the UK, meaning he is prohibited from classroom roles and must wait at least two years before he can apply for his prohibition order to be reconsidered. The TRA panel said the ban was necessary to maintain public confidence and safeguard professional standards in education.

The case highlights the serious consequences educators face when they falsify qualifications or engage in dishonest representations, undermining trust in schools and the wider profession.

Read More At>>