Derby teacher banned for life after sexually touching pupil

Charlotte Crofts worked at the special educational needs school in Derby

A teacher has been banned from teaching for life after she was found to have sexually touched a pupil.

Charlotte Crofts, 30, worked at High Grange School, Derby - a special educational needs school.

A misconduct panel found she developed an inappropriate relationship with a pupil, exchanging more than 5,000 messages, and sexually touched him.

The school said Ms Crofts was suspended when the allegations came to light in 2018 and "this matter is now closed".

Ms Crofts worked as a form and life skills teacher at the school in Hospital Lane for four years before the allegations were made in September 2018.

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) heard the pupil, described as vulnerable, had told his mother he had been in a relationship with the teacher for about a year and they had messaged on a daily basis.

He also said there had been consensual touching of each other's genital areas through clothing.

'Sexually motivated'

Derbyshire Police, who took witness statements from four people, said there had been more than 5,000 messages sent between them and the content included them saying they loved each other.

Ms Crofts, who refused to attend the hearing earlier this month, previously admitted giving the pupil her number, messaging him, and introducing him to some of her family members and child.

However she denied there had been any sexual touching or that her conduct was sexually motivated.

The panel heard the pupil did not realise at the time their contact was inappropriate but had spoken to another teacher and asked questions around the situation with Ms Crofts before telling his mother.

The TRA said it was "satisfied the conduct of Ms Crofts amounted to misconduct of a serious nature which fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession".

It added she had not "observed proper boundaries" and had no "regard for the need to safeguard [the pupil's] wellbeing".

'Appalling and shocking'

Two witnesses told the panel Ms Crofts was an "impressive" teacher, with others describing her as "dedicated and talented".

However the panel said it had not seen evidence that Ms Crofts was remorseful for her actions or had taken steps to prevent anything similar happening again.

Alan Meyrick, chief executive of the TRA, said: "In my judgement, the lack of insight means there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this puts at risk the future well-being of pupils."

He banned her from teaching indefinitely, meaning she cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, youth accommodation or children's home in England.

Following the hearing, High Grange School said it had immediately suspended Ms Crofts and reported the matter to Derbyshire Police in 2018, dismissing her for gross misconduct a year later.

"Our priority throughout has been to support the student and family and we continue to offer them our very best wishes for the future," it said.

"This was a particularly appalling and shocking matter. However, the school considers that following the publication of the TRA hearing this matter is now closed."

It added since the allegations, the school has had rigorous scrutiny from Ofsted and inspections in 2019 and 2021 determined the school is fully safeguarding compliant.