Teacher's 'crush' comment breached boundaries - panel

A teacher who admitted he told a pupil he had a crush on her mother had breached professional boundaries, a misconduct panel has ruled.

Thomas Stanley also told another pupil he could "get lost in those eyes" while working as a technology teacher at Westfield School in Sheffield, panel members were told.

Stanley resigned in August 2023 after pupils raised concerns over his "inappropriate comments" and the school launched an investigation.

The professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) said it considered the publication of its findings "sufficient to send an appropriate message to the teacher as to the standards of unacceptable behaviour" and did not further sanction him.

The TRA panel found a number of other allegations of inappropriate comments and behaviour against Stanley "not proven".

However, it found Stanley was in breach of "safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children" and had failed to provide "a safe environment in which children can learn".

The panel said it recognised Stanley had made an error of judgement, and the severity of that error, as soon as he had made the comment about having a crush on a pupil's mother in class in June 2023.

The TRA said Stanley had "seriously reflected on his actions and understood that they were inappropriate in an education setting".

The panel said it considered that public confidence in the profession could be "seriously weakened" if conduct such as that found against Stanley was not treated with the "utmost seriousness".

Though it found Stanley had demonstrated "significant insight and remorse for his actions", it said his behaviour amounted to "conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute".

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