Kay Hollingsworth, pictured, was banned from teaching after sending an 11-year-old pupil a series of sexual messages via Instagram and Snapchat

A female primary teacher who sent sexual Instagram messages to an 11-year-old pupil has been banned from teaching.

Kay Elizabeth Hollingsworth, 31, taught at Notley Green Primary School, Essex, and sent one of her pupils a series of sexual messages on Instagram and Snapchat.

In one message on Instagram, she wrote: 'About to have a shower #mental image for you lol.'

She sent him another message explaining she had recently split with a partner and was 'single and ready to mingle', and called him 'dimples' when saying goodnight one evening.

She also had exchanges with the boy on picture messaging social network Snapchat, and offered to delete their 'convo' one night in case anyone saw it.

When the boy's parents found out, she asked them not to tell the school but they refused.

Miss Hollingsworth, who was a 'phase leader' and after school teacher, was finally dismissed from the school in May last year for gross misconduct.

She admitted to a teachers disciplinary panel which dealt with her case in Coventry that she was guilty and was banned from teaching on behalf of Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan.

However, the panel accepted that she was remorseful and said she could apply to have the ban lifted after just two years.

The National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) panel ruled that it was both 'proportionate and appropriate' to ban her and that her conduct could bring the teaching profession into disrepute.

Miss Hollingsworth, left and right, taught at Notley Green Primary School, Essex, was dismissed last year for 'gross misconduct'

She admitted to a disciplinary panel hearing in Coventry she sent the messages and said she was 'shocked and horrified' by what she wrote

They say: 'By sending messages to an 11 year old pupil, including some messages containing sexual innuendo which could have been confusing to the pupil, Miss Hollingsworth failed in her position of responsibility to that pupil and her obligation to safeguard pupils' well-being.'

However, the findings say that she had 'shown remorse for her actions' and that after admitting what she had done had said she would 'forever regret the actions that I took.'

In a statement she had said: 'I am shocked and horrified by what I wrote, putting the pupil in an inappropriate position, the school's reputation in jeopardy and my own career, [to] which I have dedicated nine successful years, in ruin.'

Imposing the ban on behalf of the Education Secretary, Alan Meyrick, Deputy Director of the NCTL said the conduct of Miss Hollingsworth 'was a serious departure from the personal and professional conduct elements of Teachers Standards.'

Miss Hollingsworth, left and right, had been a teacher for nine years and said her 'career was in ruin'

Kay Elizabeth Hollingsworth, 31, taught teachers at Notley Green Primary School, Essex, and sent one of her pupils a series of sexual messages on Instagram

Kay Elizabeth Hollingsworth, 31, was banned from teaching National College of Teaching and Leadership (pictured) panel in Coventry after sending sexual messages to an 11-year-old boy

He continued : 'The nature of the conversations passing between Miss Hollingsworth and Pupil A (which included sexual references and innuendo) and the age of Pupil A, pushed the behaviour over the boundary of seriousness.

SEXUAL MESSAGE TEACHER SENT TO 11-YEAR-OLD BOY ‘About to have a shower #mental image for you lol. Bk in a min x’ ‘U probs distracted thinking about how fabulous I am (jokes)’ ‘Going to bed now dimples xx’ ‘Should I delete our convo in case someone sees it? <3’ ‘See u don’t like me telling you stuff. U won’t love me anymore…bet u won’t look at me tomorrow’ ‘I split up with that guy back in October so now I’m single and ready to mingle lol’.’ Advertisement

'I agree with the panel that most parents of 11 year olds would think Miss Hollingsworth's behaviour was inappropriate and serious.'

He added : 'I also support the view of the panel that Miss Hollingsworth's actions constituted an abuse of her position of trust, in that parents put their trust in teachers to behave in an appropriate manner towards pupils.

'Miss Hollingsworth had not behaved appropriately towards current and former pupils and had recognised that she had acted in violation of her position when she pleaded with Pupil A's parents not to tell the school.'

He said he supported the panel's recommendation that she should be banned from teaching but also supported their recommendation that the way should be left open to her to seek to return to teaching in the future.