Teacher barred over sexual relationship with pupil

Thomas Marriott worked as a history teacher and rowing coach at St Peter's School in York

A former private school teacher has been barred from the profession after he had a sexual relationship with a sixth-form pupil.

Thomas Marriott, 39, worked as a history teacher and rowing coach at St Peter's School in York from September 2007 to August 2011.

During that time, he started an inappropriate relationship with a girl who he taught and who boarded at the school.

In April 2023, Marriott was convicted at York Crown Court of two counts of sexual activity with a child by a person of trust.

An investigation by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) found Marriott had engaged in sexual activity with the pupil on the school premises multiple times.

The relationship had a "detrimental impact" on the pupil, both at the time and later in life.

Marriott's behaviour led to a sentence of 21 months in prison, suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

'Planning and grooming'

On 9 November 2021, the former student reported the matter to police, who opened an investigation.

By this time, Marriott was employed as a deputy head teacher at Princethorpe College in Warwickshire, having worked there since September 2021.

He left the college in December 2021 and the matter was referred to the TRA in March 2022.

The TRA panel noted the inappropriate relationship began when the victim was even younger, before it became fully sexual in nature when the pupil was in sixth form.

Marriott had required the pupil to keep the relationship a secret before she turned 18, which the TRA said had suggested an element of planning and grooming.

In a decision on 31 January, the panel recommended to the Secretary of State that a prohibition order should be imposed with immediate effect.

"This means that Mr Thomas Marriott is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England," the panel said.

He would also not be entitled to apply for the restoration of his eligibility to teach, due to the seriousness of the offence.

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