Pe teacher who got teen school girls to sit on his lap banned from sch

Disgraced Andrew Wilson, 39, asked one girl "really rude questions" and afterwards she felt "really not good", a tribunal heard. The incidents spanned ten years while

Wilson, who also taught IT, worked at Monks' Dyke Tennyson College, Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, between 2000 and 2011. A professional conduct panel of the National College for Teaching

and Leadership sitting in Coventry found Wilson guilty of unacceptable professional misconduct, although they decided his behaviour was not sexually motivated. Chair Mr Michael Lesser said:

"All of the particulars are of a similar nature involving over familiarity with pupils, inappropriate physical contact and conversations. His inappropriate conduct towards pupils has

been sustained and has damaged the reputation of the profession." The hearing was told at the time the girls would have been aged in their early or mid teens, and Wilson "allowed

pupils to sit on his knee, and to have hugged some." One girl 'Pupil A' told Lincolnshire police, who were called in to investigate, said he hugged her on more than one

occasion and described conversations where Wilson asked "like really rude questions". She felt the conversations were inappropriate and she felt "really not good." She

also spoke about "three separate hugs" in which they each had their arms around the other, two occurring within a few minutes on the same day and the third happening another time.

Another witness told how he saw girl 'Pupil I' sitting on Wilson's knee in the PE office. He said he was "unnerved" to see her sat on his lap, and reported it to the

headteacher. A former pupil also said on different occasions she saw two other girls, 'Pupil J' and 'Pupil K', sitting on Wilson's lap, and in the former's

case they had their arms around each other's waist. Mr Lesser said: "The panel found her evidence of frequent occasions when he put his arm around Pupil K, in full view of other

pupils, to be entirely credible." Wilson was also accused of having engaged in "more intimate sexual activity" with two other girls, but the committee threw out these

allegations. But he was prohibited from teaching indefinitely which means he cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England.

Mr Lesser said: "There has been a serious departure from the personal and professional conduct elements of the Teachers' Standards and misconduct that certainly had the potential

to affect the well being of pupils. "Notwithstanding that we have found the most grave particulars in this case involving Pupils B and C not proved. However it is the panel's view

that this is a serious case." Decision maker Mr Alan Meyrick, on behalf of the Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, said: "The particulars which concern hugging pupils and allowing

them to sit on his knee occurred nearly 15 years ago. Importantly, the panel has not found sexual motivation established in relation to any of the conduct proved against the teacher.

"Nonetheless, the matters that the panel has found proved do constitute unacceptable professional conduct. Treating pupils with dignity, building relationships rooted in mutual respect

and, critically, at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher's professional position are fundamental requirements of a teacher. "In this case Mr Wilson has

demonstrated a sustained disregard for this important principle and by his conduct has brought the profession into disrepute." Wilson, who did not attend the hearing, can appeal against

the ban after three years.