Ban for Woodham Academy teacher who called pupil "thick but pretty"

A teacher has been banned from the profession for kissing a pupil and telling another she was "so thick it's a good job you're pretty".

Paul Richardson was a cover supervisor employed to teach at Woodham Academy in Newton Aycliffe.

Paul Richardson, who worked at Woodham Academy in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, allowed another pupil to sit on his shoulders during a gym session.

A Teaching Regulation Agency hearing was told Mr Richardson did not dispute the allegations.

The twenty-nine-year-old cannot apply to have the order set aside for ten years.

The hearing was told he admitted to allowing one girl, known as Pupil A, to sit on his shoulders and told her she had "nice see-through leggings", or words to that effect.

The teacher, who did not attend the hearing and was not represented, also told a girl known as Pupil B, "you're so thick, it's a good job you're pretty", or similar words, and carried a photo of her in his phone case, the panel heard.

The following year, he held another girl's hand, known as Pupil C, during a walk and kissed her on the lips.

He also gave her a house key, kissed, and cuddled her when she got upset at his home and sent WhatsApp messages saying he loved her.

After police were alerted following a complaint to the school, Mr Richardson, who had been working as a cover supervisor, told officers he had told Pupil C they could marry in the future.

During a police interview, he said: "There was never a sexual thing, more of a friendship, like 'I love ya, let me help you', sort of thing."

But the panel found his behaviour was sexually motivated, and he had failed to keep a professional pupil-teacher relationship.

It said he had shown no remorse and had little insight into the impact of his behaviour.