A former Mablethorpe teacher has been banned from the profession for at least three years after an official inquiry found him guilty of misconduct.
Andrew Wilson, 40, - who taught PE and IT at Monks’ Dyke Tennyson College between 2001 and 2011 - was found to have engaged in inappropriate conversations and contact with a number of teenage pupils, according to an official Government report published last week.
The National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL), which deals with allegations of teacher misconduct across the United Kingdom, found that Mr Wilson had “over-familiar contact” with a number of pupils, following a lengthy investigation.
Mr Wilson faced allegations involving six female pupils in their early to mid teens.
The panel found Mr Wilson guilty of hugging two pupils, having an inappropriate conversation with one pupil, allowing three pupils to sit on his knee, and putting his arm around one of them.
However, the panel cleared Mr Wilson of the most serious allegations, which had involved intimate groping of girls and kissing.
Although Mr Wilson’s behaviour was deemed to have amounted to ‘unacceptable professional conduct’, the panel accepted that it had not been sexually motivated.
The report said hugs took place in public and were deemed to have been of a supportive rather than a sexual nature, while the knee-sitting incidents were deemed “foolish and inapproproate” rather than sexually motivated.
The disciplinary panel’s report states: “The inappropriate conversations indicated poor judgement and serious lack of thought in terms of creating and maintaining appropriate boundaries.
“All these proved particulars demonstrate a loose approach in the classroom and a weakness in pastoral classroom management.
“Indeed Mr Wilson has demonstrated a worrying disregard for any colleagues’ advice or management instructions.
“However in totality, the panel is not satisfied that Mr Wilson’s behaviour was sexually motivated.”
The panel noted that many of the allegations dated back to 2000-2001, when Mr Wilson was a relatively inexperienced teacher.
Nevertheless, the panel determined that Mr Wilson had demonstrated “a sustained disregard” to boundaries between teachers and pupils, and added that his conduct “has brought the profession into disrepute”.
In a decision taken on behalf of Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, Wilson was banned from teaching ‘indefinitely’ and cannot apply for the prohibition order to be lifted for a minimum of three years.
A statement on behalf of the Education Secretary states: “I have taken into account the need to balance the interests of the teacher with the publicinterest.
“I have also taken into account the need to be proportionate.
“For the reasons set out I support the view of the panel that this case is serious enough to warrant a prohibition order.”
Mr Wilson has the right to appeal to the High Court against the ruling.