Jailed ex-school head banned from teaching over child sex abuse

Douglas Speight, 46, posed a "significant safeguarding risk", the Teaching Regulation Agency said

A former Yorkshire headteacher jailed for child sex abuse offences has been banned from teaching "indefinitely".

Douglas Speight was sentenced in 2021 to 12 years in prison, with an extended licence of eight years.

A misconduct hearing has now concluded he poses a "significant safeguarding risk" and should not be allowed to teach again.

Speight, who worked at a Yorkshire school which cannot be named for legal reasons, did not attend the hearing.

At Bradford Crown Court in September 2021, Speight pleaded guilty to 15 charges, including sexual activity with a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He was also convicted of voyeurism and making indecent images of a child.

On 16 August, a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) misconduct hearing was told that Speight, now 46, had advanced no evidence of mitigating circumstances or of his character.

Findings from the panel stated he had shown no remorse and that the offences committed were "at the most serious end of the potential spectrum".

The TRA panel found Speight's actions had been "deliberate, calculated and motivated" and that the safeguarding risk posed by him was "significant".

As a result, the panel made a recommendation to the Secretary of State that a prohibition order should be "imposed with immediate effect".

Speight was subsequently banned from teaching "indefinitely" and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England.

Due to the seriousness of the offences, he would not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach, the TRA report concluded.