Farnborough teacher struck off over sexual misconduct

Harry White had worked at The Sixth Form College Farnborough for 12 years

A man has been banned from teaching over "sexual misconduct" with a pupil.

Harry White, 37, who taught at The Sixth Form College Farnborough in Hampshire developed an "intense and inappropriate relationship" with a student, a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) conduct hearing found.

The panel said his actions were "consistent with the characteristics of grooming".

Mr White has been banned from working at any school in England.

The relationship was found to have occurred with the A-level student between 2015 and 2017 while she was at college, and after she had left to go to university.

The panel found proven that Mr White had told her to buy "slutty" underwear, met her outside of college, asked her sexual questions and had touched her.

Once she had left the college for university he had continued the relationship, sending her gifts, asking her to send inappropriate pictures in her underwear, and performed a sexual act in front of her on Skype, the panel found.

The allegations came to light when the former pupil and her parents wrote to the college about Mr White's behaviour.

He was later dismissed from the college in gross misconduct in August 2019.

The panel said Mr White was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct.

The Sixth Form College Farnborough said once it knew about the allegations it "acted decisively and a matter of urgency".

The college said in a statement: "The College treats all allegations and complaints of this nature with the utmost seriousness, placing the highest priority on the safeguarding of all students in its care. Such instances are very rare.

"However, whilst we are confident that the disciplinary procedures followed on this occasion were supportive, robust and effective, the College has taken the opportunity to reflect on the issues raised by this case and is, accordingly, reviewing its staff training, policies and practice."

In 2016, Simon Bickford-Smith was banned from the profession after having sex with a student while teaching at the college.