An ex-teacher from the Royal Masonic School for Girls in Rickmansworth has been banned from teaching indefinitely.
Andrew Colville, 49, had already been found guilty of committing sexual activity with a child between May 25, 2005 and July 31, 2005 – in June 2016 he was sentenced to six months imprisonment which was wholly suspended for 18 months.
But the outcome of a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel meeting into the allegations against Andrew Colville, 49, took place in May and civil servant and decision marker Alan Meyrick subsequently banned Colville from teaching indefinitely.
The details of the panel’s findings, which involved Colville’s conviction for engaging in sexual activity with a child through a single kiss on one occasion were made public because “there is a strong public interest consideration in respect of the protection of pupils.”
While the panel widely accepted that Colville’s kissing of a pupil was highly inappropriate, it acknowledged that the action was “out of character” and that he has shown “huge remorse and regret.” There were also no other offences committed by the former teacher neither before nor after the 2005 incident.
Overall, Mr Meyrick said Mr Colville had not upheld public trust in the profession or maintained a decent standard of ethics and behaviour, had not treated the pupil with dignity or built a relationship rooted in mutual respect, and had not observed appropriate boundaries.
Furthermore, he did not show regard for safeguarding the pupil’s wellbeing and hadn’t acted within the statutory frameworks a teacher is responsible to follow.
Mr Meyrick added the ban was necessary to maintain the ‘reputation of the teaching profession.’
Mr Colville may apply for the prohibition order to be set aside, but not until May 22, 2023.
This seems an excessively harsh decision IF indeed there was only the one minor incident on the one occasion with no further demeanours since that single action way back.
The ban has obviously ruined his career and reputation which I and numerous (mostly mature female) friends find regretable.