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Assistant Head Banned From Teaching Over Secret Relationship With Child Sex Offender

The regulator said her secrecy over sustained contact with a convicted child sex offender created a serious safeguarding risk.

Overview

  • The Teaching Regulation Agency imposed an indefinite ban after a February hearing, with a first review not allowed before April 2029.
  • The order bars her from teaching in schools, sixth‑form colleges, relevant youth accommodation and children’s homes in England.
  • Investigators found she visited the man at HMP Northumberland about twice a month and called him often from July 2020 to October 2023 without telling the school.
  • The man was convicted in February 2020 of sexual offences against children under 13, which made disclosure a basic duty for her as a designated safeguarding lead.
  • The case emerged after a probation officer raised the alarm, leading the trust to suspend her and then dismiss her in February 2024, and the panel later found dishonesty, lack of integrity and a risk of repetition.