Nottingham Girls' School teacher banned for relationship

Alexander Day had been teaching at Nottingham Girls' High School for less than a year

A teacher at an independent girls' school has been banned from the profession for at least five years for having an inappropriate relationship with a pupil.

A misconduct hearing found Alexander Day, 29, met up with and exchanged emails with the pupil at Nottingham Girls' High School.

The panel did not find sexual activity took place between the pair.

Mr Day was given a prohibition order which can be reviewed in five years.

The Teaching Regulation Agency panel heard Mr Day had joined the fee-paying school as an English and psychology teacher in September 2017.

'Underlying sexual current'

In May 2018 the school's head was made aware Mr Day had been seen with the pupil, whose age has not been revealed, out of school.

The panel heard a subsequent investigation established the pair had exchanged a "vast" number of emails with an "underlying sexual current" from January onwards.

Its report said: "Whilst the emails were not of an overtly sexual nature, the panel considered that the volume, content and intensity of the emails demonstrated an intention to progress towards a sexual relationship."

Mr Day did not attend the hearing

The hearing heard the pair had been spotted on a bus together and the pupil said in her witness statement she had "met Mr Day in several bars round Nottingham".

However, the panel said allegations the pair had been to Mr Day's flat and sexual activity had taken place were not proven.

The panel concluded Mr Day was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct for "engaging in and developing an inappropriate relationship" by exchanging emails and meeting the pupil outside school, and the conduct "was sexually motivated".

The prohibition order, which cannot be reviewed until July 2024, prevents him from teaching in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England.