Music teacher struck off for relationship with student

Ben Hughes-Games worked as a music teacher at John Cabot Academy

A music teacher has been struck off for having a sexual relationship with a sixth-form student at a Bristol school.

Ben Hughes-Games' affair with the girl, who was 18 at the time, was deemed to amount to unacceptable professional conduct.

A National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) panel hearing found four allegations of misconduct proven against the John Cabot Academy teacher.

Mr Hughes-Games, 39, from Bristol, was banned from teaching indefinitely.

The NCTL panel heard Mr Hughes-Games entered into the "inappropriate relationship" with the girl while employed as a singing teacher at the Kingswood academy in 2009.

The pupil - known as Pupil A - was in the 2008/9 academic year, and in Year 13 at the time the relationship started.

The hearing heard he allowed the student to visit him at home, contacted her by telephone and had sexual intercourse with her.

Formal warnings

When the school raised concerns, Mr Hughes-Games initially denied that he had been in a sexual relationship with the pupil.

He received two formal warnings from the school about his conduct, and later resigned from his position in June 2015.

Mr Hughes-Games admitted all the allegations against him but was not present or represented at the hearing.

Agreeing with the panel's recommendations, Education Secretary Justine Greening's decision-maker Jayne Millions prohibited him from teaching indefinitely.

She said his behaviour "amounts to serious misconduct which falls significantly short of the standards expected of the profession".

A spokesman for John Cabot Academy said: "We are deeply disappointed a member of our staff should have been responsible for such a serious breach of trust and professional misconduct.

"We acted immediately as soon as we learned of the situation, and also informed all relevant external authorities."