A senior teacher who was said to have awarded marks for coursework which had not been done and told other staff to do the same has been suspended from teaching for six months.

Katharine Sharp, the former head of English at Senacre Technology College, in Maidstone, was given the suspension order by the General Teaching Council for England.

The one-day hearing investigated allegations that Ms Sharp awarded marks to pupils even though their coursework had not been completed. She was not present at the hearing.

The committee concluded that Ms Sharp's conduct involved a breach of the Code of Conduct and Practice for Registered Teachers.

Ms Sharp can appeal against the decision to the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court within 28 days.