In an astonishing act of brazenness, a teacher told her bosses that she had to take extra paid holidays to look after a child who was dying of cancer – even though the child didn't exist.
Kelly Baker, 31, cost her primary school more than £100,000 in pay and extra supply teachers while keeping her story going for a year.
But now she has been banned from teaching for four years after the General Teaching Council found her guilty of unacceptable conduct.
This follows the six-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, she received last year after admitting two offences of fraud.
A disciplinary hearing was told that Baker would phone the school to say she could not face work as the sick child had lost the use of his legs and fallen into a coma.
The panel concluded: "Miss Baker's persistent and dishonest behaviour did adversely affect the emotional wellbeing of her pupils.
"She abused the trust of the authority and her colleagues and her conduct did have serious financial implications for the school."
Baker also faked 13 health problems of her own to get time off and forged medical certificates on her computer. She claimed to have viral fatigue, a broken arm, broken ribs, a dislocated hip and a urinary tract infection.
Baker's web of lies unravelled when her headmaster tried to visit the 'sick child 'in hospital with a card but medical staff had no record of the patient.
Bosses suspended Baker from her £30,000-a-year job at Cwmcarn Primary, near Newport, Gwent, the hearing in Cardiff was told.