The school charges more than �1,000 a term

Former head of maths Andrew Bolton, 35, is claiming he was unfairly dismissed from Church High School, in Newcastle.

He said his relationship with Shona Upton, now 19, began after she had left the school and was waiting for her A-level results.

Mr Bolton was sacked in December 2002 after a disciplinary hearing which was sparked by rumours circulating among the school's pupils that they were having a relationship while she was still a student there.

It was alleged Miss Upton had groped him sexually during a night out at a pub in the October before they say their relationship began.

But she claimed on Wednesday they had been arm-wrestling to settle a good-natured disagreement about rugby.

I respected him as a teacher and that was where the relationship ended - in school Shona Upton

Miss Upton, who is still in a relationship with Mr Bolton, told the tribunal in Newcastle she would not have started a relationship with a teacher while she was still at school.

She told the tribunal rumours may have been started by "jealous" fellow pupils.

She said: "I respected him as a teacher and that was where the relationship ended - in school."

The Newcastle University student said their relationship only began gradually at the beginning of August 2002.

She said they moved in together about a week after she started university in the September.

Under scrutiny

Mr Bolton, from South Gosforth, had earlier told the tribunal he felt he had been picked on by headteacher Lesley Smith and her deputy Yvonne Fleming.

He said female colleagues were not put under the same scrutiny, after he was told if he was offering extra help to girls it should not be while they were alone.

Earlier, a caretaker at the school, Kosovar Genian Qeku, told the tribunal he saw Mr Bolton in an embrace with Miss Upton.

Mr Qeku said he had seen the pair together on at least six other occasions, each time he reported the matter to the senior caretaker.

Simon Goldberg, representing Mr Bolton, accused Mr Qeku of trying to curry favour with the school in order to gain a better job.

The school's headteacher Lesley Smith said she believed an affair had been developing since October 2001.

The hearing continues.