A PE teacher once praised by England Rugby for his voluntary work with female players has escaped a ban from teaching despite admitting “inappropriate physical contact” with female pupils and making “inappropriate comments” to them.

William Mbanga, 44, was director of sport at Rendcomb College, a co-educational independent boarding and day school for 3 to 18-year-olds, in Gloucestershire, when the incidents took place last year.

Inappropriate physical contact, as outlined in a report by a professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency, included:

• Asking a pupil to sit astride on his legs while demonstrating an exercise on a bench so that his legs were between her legs making her feel “very uncomfortable”.

• Sitting on the lap of a female pupil for around five seconds which made her feel “uncomfortable” and later gave her nightmares.

• During an A-level PE lesson, covering the mouth of a female pupil with his hand and pinching her nose to demonstrate the respiratory system without first asking her permission. This made her feel “angry, uncomfortable and upset”.

• Grabbing a female pupil by the arm and leading her through the squash court.

• On one or more occasions, touching female pupils on their waist or shoulders.

• Using his hip to bump one or more female pupils.

The panel noted two pupils witness statements that Mr Mbanga was “a tactile teacher” who often came “very close” to pupils and “who did not seem to understand “personal space”.

Mr Mbanga admitted the actions but said physical contact was part of his role as a PE teacher and that this was how he was taught to do it.

The panel considered his “unblemished teaching record of 18 years” as well as an “impressive reference” from his previous employers. It also noted he had been recognised by England Rugby (the national governing body for grassroots and elite rugby in England) for his voluntary work in youth and women’s rugby over the past seven years.

However, it also noted his inappropriate comments to female pupils included:

• Referring to a female pupil as a “squat queen” which he had meant as a compliment, unaware that the comment had caused the pupil “embarrassment and discomfort”.

• Telling a group of female pupils to “stop advertising” when they were crawling along the ground with their bottoms in the air doing “army crawls”.

• Telling a female pupil that “you’re not just a pretty face” when she answered his question correctly.

The panel noted that Mr Mbanga admitted all allegations and had shown insight and remorse for his actions, demonstrated by him attending a safeguarding and protecting children course.

In a statement, his legal representative said: “My client says that this biggest regret with respect to this entire situation is that his actions or comments, while harbouring no deviant or malicious intent, may have been misinterpreted by the very people he is dedicated to serving”.

The panel noted that there was “no evidence to suggest his behaviour had been sexually motivated” nor did they consider he was “a danger to pupils”.

Panel Decision maker Dawn Dandy, in her report, said: “Teachers uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour…by  treating pupils with dignity, building relationships rooted in mutual respect, and at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher’s professional position.”

But she added: “A prohibition order would clearly deprive the public of his contribution to the profession for the period that it is in force…

“Given that the nature and severity of the behaviour was at the less serious end of the possible spectrum, and in light of the mitigating factors that were present in this case, the panel determined that a recommendation for a prohibition order would not be appropriate in this case.”

Mr Mbanga had worked at the school for almost four years prior to being suspended in March last year. The following month he resigned prior to being dismissed, the report states.