Between 2015 and 2016, Aaron Smith claimed to have played for West Bromwich Albion, Leicester City, and England Schoolboys Under-15s, the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) heard.
Smith, who worked at Woodlands Primary School, went so far as to forge documents and edit photographs to make his story appear real. He inserted his name on a team sheet of footballers and photoshopped his face onto a Leicester City team photograph, presenting them to pupils as proof of his alleged football career.
The deception unravelled after a pupil and his father attempted to verify his claims online but found no record of him. Following their inquiry, the Football Association confirmed that no such match had taken place and that Smith had never represented England at any level.
The panel also heard that Smith displayed fake memorabilia to students, including football shirts, medals, and altered photos.
After leaving Woodlands Primary, Smith was employed at Co-op Academy Bebington from 2016 to 2022. During the hiring process, he falsely claimed to have worked part-time for SY4C, a childcare and sports education provider.
In 2021, Smith again came under scrutiny after submitting a forged doctor’s letter from a supposed Liverpool psychotherapy and counselling service to justify repeated absences. The letter contained several spelling and grammatical errors, which prompted the school to investigate. The service was later found to be fictitious.
The TRA concluded that Smith’s behaviour “amounted to serious misconduct which fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession.”
He has been barred from teaching for at least five years before being eligible to reapply.
