A controversial head teacher who tried to ban Kent primary school pupils from talking about Christmas and sparked protests from angry parents has begun a two-week disciplinary hearing.

The case of Jane Porter, who left her role at Whitehill Primary School in Gravesend in October 2015, a year after leaving the same post at King’s Farm Primary School, got underway in front of a conduct panel in Coventry yesterday.

Her leadership of Whitehill in Sun Lane, where she worked for 18 years, was described as “toxic” by the Gravesham branch of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) upon her departure.

Exam chiefs launched an investigation into the school in the summer of 2014, with a number of tests scrapped due to “maladministration”.

The year before, Mrs Porter had sparked controversy by banning pupils from mentioning Christmas before December and threatening them with the loss of their “golden time” should they disobey.

Others backed her no-nonsense approach and the schools received positive reports from Ofsted during her time there, but she vacated both of them in the space of a year.

When she left Whitehill, the NUT said local association offers had too often being called to deal with “unpleasantries”.

Her reign at King’s Farm, which she ran at the same time as Whitehill until October 2014, was similarly unpopular with some parents.

Some had complained that King’s Farm was going in the wrong direction under her leadership and in July 2014 they protested outside the school.

There were claims that sports day had been cancelled, special needs children had lost their support, the size of classes increased after 22 teachers quit, and school trips were cancelled along with the summer fete.

Mrs Porter's misconduct hearing runs until Friday, January 20.