Teacher banned after 'inappropriately' touching boys

A teacher has been banned for life after a panel found he touched pupils in a sexually motivated way.

Matthew Bell, 53, who taught at Sandhurst School in Berkshire, was previously given a warning after an investigation found he touched a boy's leg and carried out "physiotherapy-style stretches".

The panel found he invited another boy into school to practise athletics and placed a hand near the boy's groin.

In a statement, he admitted his behaviour was "inappropriate and not in keeping with being a teacher and role model to students" but denied it was sexually motivated.

But the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel said it could find "no plausible innocent explanation" for touching the second boy, especially near or on the groin.

It said it was also "concerned" about the "secret nature" of the arrangements when Mr Bell asked the pupil to meet him "at the back door of the gym".

As a result, there was no record of the boy being at the school that day.

Mr Bell joined the school in 1996 but was dismissed by the school, which referred him to the TRA.

"As a teacher I did attend safeguarding courses as part of professional development but did not adhere to them as I should have done so," Mr Bell said in his statement in December.

"This was wrong and as an experienced teacher I should have known better."

Mr Bell was also found to have offered pupils his personal mobile phone number but had denied doing so.

The TRA panel said his behaviour was deliberate and because of the seriousness of the allegations proved against him, he will not be able to apply to have his registration restored later.

Sandhurst School was approached to comment.

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