Teacher Banned From Classroom For 'Romantically Pursuing' Boy Pupil, 15, For Two Years

Teacher Banned From Classroom For 'Romantically Pursuing' Boy Pupil, 15, For Two Years
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A woman geography teacher has been banned from teaching indefinitely after 'romantically pursuing' a teenage pupil for almost two years.

A professional conduct hearing was told that Catherine Rayne, who is in her 30s, tried to seduce the 15-year-old by sending him a string of gifts and giving him extra tuition at her home.

She also sent him scores of messages on Facebook and well as text messages telling him she wanted to be 'romantically involved' with him.

She also sent the pupil a letter asking him 'to be in a relationship with her'.

Miss Rayne started working at the Michael Hall School in Forest Row, East Sussex, in September 2009 and made friends with the pupil on Facebook and swapped mobile phone numbers.

She continued the pursuit of the pupil despite him telling his father that he was 'uncomfortable' with the attention she lavished on him.

Miss Rayne was given an informal warning for inappropriate conduct in late 2009 and then a formal warning in September 2010 after a complaint from the pupil's father.

The hearing was told that the pupil suffered from taunts from his fellow pupils over his 'relationship' with Miss Rayne.

She was invited to resign in March 2011 after refusing to stop her pursuit of the pupil.

The panel stated that Miss Rayne 'demonstrated a serious lack of professional judgement' and that her conduct had 'very real potential' to damage her profession and the 'reputation of the school'.

It added: "Ms Rayne's conduct fell well short of the standard expected of the profession and which was compounded by the fact that it continued in the face of a formal warning.

"The panel finds that it amounted to unacceptable professional conduct."

She has now been banned from teaching indefinitely and can only ask for the banning order to be overturned in five years.