A former teacher at Menston Primary School has been suspended for two years for helping pupils as they sat exams.

Ian Byng pointed out mistakes and prompted youngsters during a national Maths tests while he was working at the primary school.

He has now been banned from the profession for two years by the General Teaching Council.

At a hearing this week the teaching watchdog found him guilty of unacceptable professional conduct by providing "inappropriate guidance" during exams.

The allegations were made against Mr Byng when he worked as a key stage two manager at Menston Primary in May 2004.

The breach of exam rules came to light when teaching assistants at the school reported him to senior staff.

This resulted in a GTC investigation into Mr Byng and Menston Primary's Maths SATS results for year six pupils in 2004 being declared void.

Louise Ford, a learning support assistant at the school, told an earlier GTC hearing that she heard Mr Byng speaking to pupils during the tests sat by 11-year-olds in 2004.

According to Mrs Ford, Mr Byng has said: "That's right, well done", "No, its a division not a take away" and "We did that in class," to pupils while the exam was running.

This week the GTC committee found him guilty of providing inappropriate guidance and assistance to a number of pupils at the school by providing physical and verbal prompts.

The committee said it found Mrs Ford to be a credible witness.

It also ruled that Mr Byng made inappropriate use of the test paper before the exam.

Mr Byng had admitted that he completed part of the test paper and then referred to it as he walked around the room during the exam.

The committee also found that Mr Byng failed to adhere to the strict timing of the test and failed to read instructions to pupils prior to the test.

Mr Byng had admitted during interview with the GTC that he did not know exactly when the 45-minute test had started or finished and said "it could have been a minute either way."

However, the GTC did not find Mr Byng guilty of failing to provide pupils with an opportunity to select appropriate equipment for the test.

Mr Byng resigned from his post at Menston Primary in August 2004 and did not attend the hearing in Birmingham on Monday.