Description
A Hampshire teacher has been banned from the profession for life after he was convicted of a number of child sex offences. He was convicted at Salisbury Crown Court in January 2021.
Nicholas Maunders, 29, taught maths at Frogmore Community College in Yateley. He was employed at the school from September 2017 until his resignation in November 2019.
In Mach 2019, a pupil disclosed to the school that another student had been exchanging messages with a member of staff. The school informed Hampshire Constabulary and the Local Authority Designated Officer.
A day later Maunders was arrested in connection with the disclosure which had been made. He was suspended while the school and police carried out investigations.
On January 8, 2021, the former teacher was convicted at Salisbury Crown Court. Maunders was convicted of three counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.
In a written response from Maunders, he said: "I admit that I have been found guilty by the court but I am still maintaining my innocence of all of the charges." A professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency to determine his future in the profession was held on April 7.
It was found, following the "serious findings of an inappropriate sexual relationship with a child" that Maunders should be banned from the profession for life. Despite having a "good history" as a teacher, the panel found no evidence that his actions were not deliberate and the former teacher has not expressed any remorse for his actions.
Alan Meyrick, writing on behalf of the Secretary State, said in the report: "In my judgement, the lack of full insight or remorse means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this puts at risk the future wellbeing of pupils [...] In my view, it is necessary to impose a prohibition order in order to maintain public confidence in the profession."
Maunders is banned from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. The former teacher has a right to appeal to the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court within 28 days of the order being issued.