Ex-Langley School teacher banned for sexual touching Published duration 10 January 2019

image copyright Graham Hardy/Geograph image caption Mr Brittain left Langley School in February 2016 after entering into a settlement agreement

A former teacher alleged to have sexually touched a pupil while giving her physics tuition has been banned indefinitely from the profession.

Robbie Brittain, 33, taught at Langley School in Loddon, Norfolk, when it was alleged he engaged in sexual activity with the girl in school rooms.

But a teacher misconduct panel said "on the balance of probabilities" he had engaged in sexual touching with her.

The panel said it was satisfied Mr Brittain had done so in school communal areas between 2013 and 2014.

Mr Brittain started to give the pupil additional physics tuition at some point in 2013 and the pupil claimed "within a few weeks" sexual touching had begun, a panel report said.

image copyright Evelyn Simak/Geograph image caption The grounds of Langley School are Grade I listed

The allegations first came to light when she told a fellow pupil in April 2014. On a school trip later that summer, when she was warned about not smoking, she told other pupils of her sexual experiences, who disclosed the information to staff, leading to a criminal investigation and subsequent trial.

'Allegation is proven'

Mr Brittain claimed the pupil "was in effect fabricating the allegations, and that she was a troubled young woman prone to lying and exaggeration, motivated by a desire to be the centre of attention and to distract from her poor behaviour on the trip".

He said her claims were "entirely unbelievable" for reasons including a lack of corroborating evidence in support of her and "nobody considering such action would do so in areas where they would face detection or where there may be CCTV".

But the panel said: "[The pupil] was completely clear about both the fact of sexual touching of her by Mr Brittain, and also of her touching his private areas.

"The panel is thus satisfied that this allegation is proven on the balance of probabilities... on the basis that Mr Brittain engaged in sexual touching of [the pupil]... on dates between 2013 and 2014."

In a separate allegation it found he had touched her inner thigh after a school trip in 2012, which she said was done while comforting her, however, the panel added there was no evidence there was sexual intent.

He has 28 days to appeal against the ban.

Related Topics Loddon