A secondary school teacher who consumed gin from a water bottle in her classroom before vomiting in a staff bathroom has been banned from the profession indefinitely.
Incident at Djanogly City Academy
Annika Kiran Kapur was suspended and subsequently dismissed from Djanogly City Academy in Nottingham in early 2025 after she was found to have consumed alcohol while teaching. A professional conduct panel heard from several witnesses who observed Ms Kapur slurring her words and behaving in an exaggerated manner, leading some pupils to ask if she was drunk.
One witness reported that while intoxicated, Ms Kapur complained about her students not listening and said, “this class terrifies me.”
Teacher admits grievous error
Ms Kapur acknowledged she had made a “grievous error” and a “horrible mistake,” admitting to unacceptable professional conduct. In January 2025, she brought a water bottle containing gin and lemon to school. She claimed the bottle had been in her bag from her “birthday weekend” and that she was unaware it still contained alcohol when she began drinking.
Ms Kapur stated she could not spit it out because students would question the contents, so she “chugged it to stop myself vomiting,” consuming about a third of the bottle.
Witness accounts
Witnesses described Ms Kapur slurring her words and speaking out of character. One person noted she was gesticulating and appeared unsteady on her feet. The panel heard that a student had his head on the desk, and Ms Kapur “gently pulled him up from the desk with his hair.” Ms Kapur denied pulling the pupil’s head, claiming she only patted him.
After being asked to leave the classroom, she began to retch and then vomited in the staff toilet, according to a witness. Another witness said she struggled to get the class’s attention and was overenunciating. When asked if she was feeling okay, Ms Kapur replied she was fine, just “a bit tired.” Some pupils questioned if she was drunk after she left the room.
Outcome
Asked if students were safe, Ms Kapur said she “wasn’t that bad,” had a “dizzy headache,” and remembered her actions clearly. The panel imposed an indefinite prohibition order, barring her from teaching. She may apply to have the order set aside in April 2028.
