By Emma Reynolds <\/p>\n
Last updated at 10:11 AM on 2nd February 2012 <\/p>\n
A bogus biology teacher forged her qualifications to work as a chief examiner for an A-level exam board. <\/p>\n
Julia Rawlinson, 44, duped her bosses by using a computer to forge a degree, doctorate and teaching certificates. <\/p>\n
She then got a job at examination board Edexcel - marking thousands of A-level papers for students across Britain - before becoming a teacher at Westlands School in Torquay, Devon. <\/p>\n
Cheating her way in: Julia Rawlinson duped education sector bosses but was caught after she started working at Westlands School in Torquay, pictured <\/p>\n
She is now facing jail after pleading guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation and three forgery charges. <\/p>\n
Rawlinson, from Brixham, Devon, admitted the charges relating to her work at the school, from February to September last year, at Torbay Magistrates' Court. <\/p>\n
She told Westlands School she had a masters degree and doctorate in science psychology. <\/p>\n
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Prosecutor Alison Jordan said: 'On October 5, Westlands School contacted police to say one of their teachers, Julia Rawlinson, had provided false degrees in order to obtain a teaching position. <\/p>\n
'The school contacted the university and was told those bore no resemblance to their certificates and were poor forgeries.' <\/p>\n
Police arrested her and found the forged degrees at her home - a biochemistry degree from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, a fake doctorate from Glasgow Caledonian University and a fake teacher certificate from the General Teaching Council for England. <\/p>\n
Giving out grades: Unqualified Ms Rawlinson marked thousands of A-Level papers for students across Britain when she worked for exam board Edexcel <\/p>\n
She admitted to forging them using graphics from the Internet and said she had never completed a degree. <\/p>\n
Her defence lawyer Jolyon Tuck said she had mental health issues but she has been sent to the Crown Court in Exeter later this month. <\/p>\n
A spokesman for Edexcel said Ms Rawlinson had started work for them in 2007. <\/p>\n
'We are appalled,' he said. 'She would have marked exam papers. She may have marked one or a small number or a larger number, we don\u2019t know. <\/p>\n
'She was getting away with it for a while.' <\/p>\n
Westlands School headteacher Dr Colin Kirkman said: 'Julia was chief examiner for A level biology with the Edexcel exam board. <\/p>\n
We are appalled. She would have marked exam papers. She may have marked one or a small number or a larger number, we don\u2019t know. She was getting away with it for a while.
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'The board offered us her help and support prior to the summer with A-level biology project work, which we accepted. <\/p>\n
'We understand she also worked in at least two other schools in this area in this capacity. <\/p>\n
'Julia was offered a temporary part-time contract to work at Westlands from September 1 teaching A-level science. <\/p>\n
'The normal CRB checks were undertaken and references received prior to employment <\/p>\n
'However we noticed that her exam certificates were photocopies. As a result, we immediately contacted the universities where she \"gained\" her qualifications to validate her certificates. <\/p>\n
'We found they were forgeries and reported this to the police. <\/p>\n
'Torbay children\u2019s services commended us for the extensive checks that we made - the depth of the checks that exam boards and other organisations failed to make.' <\/p>\n
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