Teacher who filmed pupils wrestling at Oxfordshire school banned

The panel said the only reason for filming the wrestling could have been "sexually motivated" and "voyeuristic".

A teacher who filmed himself wrestling with pupils in "play fights" has been banned from the profession.

A panel found Gary Savage had failed to observe professional boundaries at three public schools in Oxfordshire and Kent in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.

It said the only reason for filming the wrestling could have been "sexually motivated" and "voyeuristic".

It said while he "regrets" his actions, he showed "a lack of insight and remorse".

The Teaching Regulation Agency found 17 allegations of misconduct either proved or admitted earlier this month.

It said the 62-year-old had allowed pupils to wrestle on at least four occasions at an Oxfordshire school and took part in some of the incidents himself.

Mr Savage said they stemmed from judo lessons and that he had "foolishly overindulged [the pupils] in what they enjoyed".

The panel found he had told boys not to mention the events to anyone, referring to them as "our little secret".

He had earlier lied and told senior staff the fights had been stopped, it said.

At a public school in Kent he sent text messages to pupils despite being warned against doing so by the school's headteacher.

The panel also found that while a house master at another public school in Oxfordshire, he took a pupil into his flat despite "specific instruction" that no pupils should be in it at any time.

He was also found to have taken a pupil swimming and driven them in his car.

The panel was initially planned in March 2020 but its meeting was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

It reconvened on 1 February to 2 February and the panel's findings were published on Thursday.

It said that his behaviour showed a "clear breach of professional boundaries and safeguarding" and banned him from teaching indefinitely.