Overview
- England’s Teaching Regulation Agency imposed an indefinite prohibition on Benjamin Phelps on 16 January 2026 following a professional conduct hearing.
- The panel found significant breaches of professional boundaries and concluded the teacher–pupil relationship was personal and romanticised by February 2024.
- Evidence cited included WhatsApp and Google Chat exchanges in which he said “I love you,” suggested skipping school to “eat in the car,” shared photos, and wrote heart symbols on a napkin.
- Safeguarding failures included not escalating a November 2023 disclosure and shifting communications to WhatsApp in January 2024; he did not report a February kiss attempt, though hugs and cheek kisses were acknowledged.
- He was dismissed by St Bede’s in April 2024; a grooming allegation was not proved, and he may appeal to the High Court or apply to set aside the ban from January 2030.