A TEACHER who developed inappropriate relationships with two pupils at his Yate school has been allowed to stay in the profession.
Joshua Wring was a head of house at Brimsham Green School at the time of the incidents, which led to him being found to have committed serious misconduct.
He no longer teaches at the secondary school.
A Teaching Regulation Agency professional conduct panel heard Mr Wring admitted a series of allegations, including exchanging emails with the girls at night, telling one of them: “All I want to do is catch your eye and smile at you at school.”
In others he wrote: “I’m so lucky to know an incredible person like you. Do you want to see me this week?!’ and: “I just wanted to give you a hug!”
The panel ruled that Mr Wring was trying to do the right thing in the wrong way, by attempting to safeguard the youngsters from someone else as one of them was at risk of abuse, grooming and self-harm.
The panel concluded that the messages were aimed at encouraging the children to attend school more often by letting them know there would be a friendly face and someone they could go to for support.
Among the allegations the panel found proved were that the teacher was giving both pupils gifts.
Mr Wring told the three-day hearing in September, whose report was published this week, that one of them was a set of weighing scales to help one of the girls with her food technology work and the other was a notepad and pen, so she could record her thoughts amid concerns for her welfare, which were redacted in the published report.
It said: “He stated that this was not an expensive item, was something which was in the pastoral office and was intended to assist Pupil B with her well-being.”
The panel ruled that the teacher failed to take appropriate action with safeguarding concerns.
Its report said: “Mr Wring stated that whilst his intentions were to safeguard Pupils A and B himself, he should have reported this in the correct way.
“Mr Wring acknowledged that he tried to take on the safeguarding matters himself by talking to Pupil A which he recognises was inappropriate and that he should have reported this correctly.”
228 deleted emails
He also attempted to permanently delete 228 emails between himself and the pupils, as well as a person referred to as Individual G.
The teacher accepted this but said it was “just a housekeeping task, as he was in his notice period before moving to another school, so was sorting through his inbox with no idea that there would be a school investigation”.
However the report said the panel believed he “was more likely than not to have been seeking to conceal” by deleting the emails.”
The TRA concluded that Mr Wring knew the children were vulnerable and that he was dishonest and lacked integrity.
‘Misconduct of a serious nature’
Its report said: “The panel was satisfied that the conduct of Mr Wring amounted to misconduct of a serious nature, which fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession.
“The panel found Mr Wring’s actions to be deliberate, albeit motivated by a desire to help others and to support by acting in a way that would promote the well-being of students.
“Although the panel noted that Mr Wring had not properly reported numerous safeguarding risks, these were largely procedural failures and the panel did not have evidence before it that there was actual harm suffered, as there was no resulting serious risk to pupils which was left unaddressed.”
The panel decided not to recommend a prohibition order banning him from teaching but to publish the report from the hearing as an appropriate sanction.
‘Trying to do the right thing’
It said: “There was evidence that Mr Wring demonstrated high standards in both personal and professional conduct and had contributed significantly to the education sector.
“The panel considered that Mr Wring had demonstrated clear insight and remorse into his actions and did not consider there to be a risk of repetition.
“Mr Wring demonstrated a real awareness of the impact that his actions had had on all involved and of how best to approach any safeguarding situations in the future.
“Given that the nature and severity of the behaviour were at the less serious end of the possible spectrum and, having considered the mitigating factors that were present, in particular that Mr Wring was trying to do the right thing by supporting the pupils, the panel determined that a recommendation for a prohibition order would not be appropriate in this case.
“The panel considered that the publication of the adverse findings it had made was sufficient to send an appropriate message to the teacher as to the standards of behaviour that are not acceptable, and the publication would meet the public interest requirement of declaring proper standards of the profession.”
School’s comment
A school spokesperson said: “We are aware of the decision taken by the TRA in relation to a former member of staff at Brimsham Green School.
“The school was called to give evidence to the TRA hearing and have been clear at all times that we followed appropriate processes promptly in order to safeguard children.
“Our first responsibility is to the safeguarding and welfare of all of the children in our care and so we will not be making any further comment on the details of the case.”
By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service