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A physical education teacher from Mayville High School in Portsmouth has been permanently banned from teaching following an investigation into inappropriate conduct with a female student. Stuart Smith, aged 48, held additional responsibilities as assistant head of Year 11 and head of house during his tenure at the school.
The disciplinary panel determined that Smith had developed an overly familiar and emotional relationship with a pupil, which breached professional boundaries. The misconduct hearing revealed that Smith’s closeness with the student intensified during a school trip, where he engaged in frequent one-on-one interactions with her. Upon their return, the teacher and student continued to exchange numerous WhatsApp messages.
Some of the messages displayed by the Teaching Regulation Agency’s professional conduct panel included Smith calling the student “Premier League” and referring to her as one of his “favourite people on the planet.” He also expressed pride in her and affectionately used nicknames such as “hoody stealer,” “bracelet addict,” and “Mona Lisa friend.” While acknowledging his communication was “too friendly and overfamiliar,” Smith attributed it to spending long hours daily with the pupil. In a written statement, he admitted his messages were unprofessional and blurred acceptable boundaries.
The panel heard the student’s account of a journey home from the school trip, during which Smith allegedly touched her thigh after she said she was going to sleep and he invited her to put her legs over him. Although Smith denied this claim, the panel upheld it as proven. Additionally, the investigation discovered Smith had photographs of the pupil, gave her a fabric bracelet, and exchanged personal phone numbers with one or more students. In October 2023, Smith was arrested over suspicion of sexual assault and suspended from his duties. However, police closed the case without further action by December, when he resigned from the school, which charges approximately £18,000 annually for students in Years 7 through 11.
The misconduct panel concluded that Smith’s repeated failure to maintain appropriate professional boundaries and his disregard for safeguarding obligations seriously undermined the teaching profession’s standards. They further stated that he had exploited his position of trust towards the pupil. Though some allegations against him were not upheld, the decision was made to prohibit Smith from teaching indefinitely. He may apply to have this ban lifted after 2029 and retains the right to appeal the ruling in the High Court
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