A humanities teacher has been banned from the profession for at least two years for making inappropriate remarks to female pupils, including comments about spanking.

Timothy Moore was also found to have engaged in “unwelcome” physical contact with pupils, which on one occasion included tickling a student.

He taught at Clacton Coastal Academy, in Essex, from 2013 until he was summarily dismissed in 2018.

He had in 2017 faced an investigation into allegations of inappropriate comments and physical contact with pupils, and was given a first and final written warning about his conduct. A further investigation began in April 2018 into new allegations.

The Teaching Regulation Agency found proven allegations that Mr Moore made comments to the effect of, “Don’t stop, glad we are comfortable together,” to Pupil A as she was adjusting her bra and also told her, “You would love to be in a detention with me.”

‘I would spank you’

He told either Pupil A or pupil B, “I would spank you but it would be a bit inappropriate,” said that he could “pull” Pupil D in the presence of Pupil A and/or pupil B and told the latter, “I would love to be in a detention with you three alone.”

He was also found to have made inappropriate physical contact with Pupil A and with Pupil C. The TRA panel found that he had put his arm around Pupil A’s shoulder and patted her lower back, and that he had tickled Pupil C.

The panel said he had engaged in “unsolicited and unwelcome physical contact with pupils, which in some instances made them feel uncomfortable”.

The panel said that Mr Moore, who declined to take part in the proceedings, failed to observe a proper boundary appropriate to a teacher’s professional position but concluded his actions were not sexually motivated and “may have been attributable to Mr Moore’s persona”.

Panel members decided his actions had amounted to unacceptable professional conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.

They recommended, though, that he be allowed to appeal after two years against a prohibition order as “given time for reflection, Mr Moore may develop sufficient insight into his lack of judgement, the inappropriateness of his behaviour and may be able to offer assurances about future conduct”.

This was agreed by Department for Education decision-maker Alan Meyrick.