Teacher messaged undercover officer posing as girl, 14

Mr Millar was a teacher at Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre at the time

A former teacher has been banned from the profession after sending messages to a police officer posing as a 14-year-old girl.

A misconduct panel found the conduct of 35-year-old Steven Millar, who taught at Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre at the time, was "sexually motivated".

Mr Millar's actions were uncovered by an officer who posed as a teenager on an instant messaging website between 25 and 26 January 2021.

The school said it expected staff to "maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour at all times".

According to a Teaching Regulation Authority report, Mr Millar messaged who he thought was a 14-year-old girl called Dais from Aylesbury on a platform called Chatiw on 25 January.

When the "girl" told him her name and age, Mr Millar replied "cool x" under the profile name "Teach on free".

He asked her for details of what she looked like, followed by a request for a picture and her Snapchat. He also messaged her a sexually-explicit demand.

The messaging ended when Mr Millar was asked by the undercover operative whether he was teaching later that day, the report said.

The officer sent a further message the following day saying "helloooooo lol” that received no response.

'Deeply regrets'

On 11 March 2021, Mr Millar was arrested on suspicion of sexual communication with a child aged 14 on an instant messaging platform.

The police concluded six months later there would be no further action after an investigation, the report said.

Gloucestershire Police said it did not want to comment any further on the case.

Mr Millar stopped being employed by the school on 1 November 2021 after a disciplinary investigation.

In a statement provided by Mr Millar as part of the disciplinary hearing, he said he "deeply regrets being involved in a matter that has given the school cause for concern and he apologises for any problems caused by his actions".

The panel said in the report Mr Millar had "insight into his wrongdoing".

'Immediately suspended'

A spokesperson for Cheltenham Bournside School said: "Our expectation is that staff uphold public trust in the education profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour at all times.

"Our safeguarding training, policies and processes are clear to protect everyone in our community.

"The member of staff involved was immediately suspended when we were made aware of the allegations by the police and they did not return to school at any stage before he was formally dismissed.

"The offence took place away from the school site and did not involve any members of our school community."

The misconduct report said: "It is necessary to impose a prohibition order in order to maintain public confidence in the profession."

The school received a 'good' rating after Ofsted's inspection in September 2022.

At the time the school had 1,707 pupils enrolled ranging in age from 11 to 18.