Martin Swarfield, 46, a former head of sports at Wells Cathedral School, has been permanently banned from teaching due to serious misconduct involving a pupil.

The Teaching Regulation Agency's professional conduct panel revealed disturbing details of Mr Swarfield's actions during a school trip to Nepal.

The panel heard how Swarfield sexually pursued a female student, known as Pupil A.

He made inappropriate advances, including following her to the toilets, her hotel room, and eventually to car parks and his family home. This behaviour escalated to kissing and sexual encounters.

After these incidents were reported, Mr Swarfield was suspended and later resigned.

The inquiry detailed Swarfield's attempts to isolate the pupil, including allowing her to have a bedroom alone, where he visited her, initiating physical contact. He was also seen drinking alcohol with pupils and making suggestive comments towards Pupil A.

This conduct extended beyond the trip, with Mr Swarfield continuing to pursue the pupil, offering private yoga lessons and expressing his sexual interest in her. He later expressed fear over losing his job and his family if his actions were revealed.

A subsequent safeguarding investigation by Wells Cathedral School and a complaint to the police led to Swarfield's arrest. He was given a police caution for harassment and admitted to the charges at the Teaching Regulation Agency.

Swarfield received a police caution for harassing a pupil through text messages and making comments about her in an online publication. He acknowledged these actions and other allegations at the Teaching Regulation Agency.

In an email, Swarfield expressed regret, stating he has realised the damage he caused to the teaching profession. He mentioned his current focus on responsibilities outside education to support his family.

However, the panel noted that Swarfield's understanding and remorse for the impact of his actions on pupils were inadequate. They determined that his behaviour was deliberate and sexually motivated, which negatively affected the reputation of the teaching profession.

The panel's report highlighted the risk of Swarfield repeating such behaviour due to his lack of complete insight or remorse, potentially endangering the wellbeing of pupils in the future.

As a result, Swarfield has been indefinitely barred from teaching. The ban extends to any school, sixth-form college, relevant youth accommodation, or children's home in England, and he is not eligible to apply for reinstatement as a teacher.

Alastair Tighe, headmaster at Wells Cathedral School, said: "The Teaching Regulation Agency has today published a decision of its Professional Conduct Panel banning Martin Swarfield, a former member of our staff, from teaching indefinitely, following a finding of sexually motivated misconduct by him towards one of our pupils and his subsequent harassment of her.

"The findings reflect a deplorable breach of expected standards and a total lack of integrity on the part of Mr Swarfield, who had already lost his job and received a conditional caution from the police as a result of his actions.

"We strive to safeguard and protect all of our pupils from harm. We are determined to do what we can to support those affected by Mr Swarfield's actions and to ensure that nothing like this happens again.

"The School is never complacent, and we will reflect further as a result the Panel's report. Anyone who may be affected by this should contact Alastair Tighe, headmaster at [email protected], or Martin Ashton, Designated Safeguarding Lead at [email protected]."

You can find the full report here.