Ramsey teacher banned for 'inappropriate' messages to pupil

Callum Hatch was a teacher at Abbey College when the accusations were made

A teacher who sent inappropriate messages deemed sexually motivated to a vulnerable pupil has been banned from the profession.

Callum Hatch, 25, taught at Abbey College in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire at the time of the allegations between October 2021 and June 2022.

He was also found to have followed and liked photographs of another pupil's Instagram account.

The college said it investigated and reported the allegations immediately.

Concerns were raised by three pupils in June 2022 about Mr Hatch interacting with students on Instagram, a Teaching Regulation Agency panel heard.

He sent messages to a girl, known as Pupil D, which included details of his sexual encounters, compliments about her body, offers to pick her up and invites to his house.

Pupil D stated that after they began messaging each other, she had asked Mr Hatch it if was wrong and Mr Hatch had said "possibly" but that it "would be fine" and that "seven years is not a big age gap".

Mr Hatch admitted sending the messages but denied they were sexually motivated, saying he tried to "boost" Pupil D's confidence.

'A risk to pupils'

However, the panel found the messages "were an attempt by him to use his position of trust to sexually exploit Pupil D, who he had known to be a vulnerable young girl".

A police investigation was not pursued as the student was over 16, the panel heard.

The panel also found Mr Hatch failed to safeguard the pupils and was "posing a risk to them by sending inappropriate messages to pupil D and following Pupil A".

Mr Hatch claimed he was a "naively, newly qualified" teacher who had not been given safeguarding training, which the panel did not support.

A spokesperson for Abbey College, said: "We are appalled and disappointed by Mr Hatch's unacceptable behaviour that fell well short of those expected of a teacher and the high standards we expect at the college.

"As soon as the messages were brought to our attention we reported them to the local authority safeguarding leads, conducted a thorough investigation, and suspended Mr Hatch with immediate effect."