A former head of music from one of the country’s most high-profile state schools has been banned from the teaching profession for allowing students to drink alcohol and take a class A drug at his flat.

Lyndon Samuel, 39, has been banned from teaching indefinitely for unacceptable professional conduct for his actions while working at Mossbourne Community Academy in London.

A Teaching Regulation Agency panel found that Mr Samuel invited or allowed two 18-year-old students to come to his home, drank alcohol with them and allowed or failed to stop one of the students taking cocaine.

However, the panel did not find an allegation that Mr Samuel had taken drugs to be proven.

The panel also found that he demonstrated a lack of integrity and was dishonest when questioned by his school about the incident.

The panel's report revealed that Mr Samuel later resigned before a safeguarding investigation report into the incidents had been completed by the school.

The events took place at around midnight on or around 10 March 2017.

Teacher 'drank with students'

The report said that a student had alleged that Mr Samuel had invited a group of people standing outside a pub at around midnight to come back to his flat.

Mr Samuel later told the school that he had seen two students on the street and that he thought his flat would be a good place for them to sober up.

However, the TRA panel said that it did not accept that this was his motivation.

The panel report noted that when Mr Samuel was interviewed by a member of staff from the Mossbourne Federation school, he accepted that he and two students drank alcohol while they were there.

According to the report, one of the students also said he had taken cocaine in the flat and believes Mr Samuel would have been able to see what he was doing.

The panel said it was satisfied that a student did take cocaine and that Mr Samuel either allowed it or failed to prevent it.

However, it said there was no evidence the teacher encouraged the drug-taking, and did not find it proven that Mr Samuel had taken drugs himself.

The TRA report said it did not accept Mr Samuel’s claim that he invited two students back to his flat as he was concerned for their wellbeing.

It said it was satisfied that his conduct “demonstrated a disregard for the need to safeguard the welfare and wellbeing of one or more students”.

Mr Samuel made no formal admissions during the proceedings and was not present or represented.

The panel recommended Mr Samuel be banned from teaching but be able to apply to have this reviewed after two years.

This recommendation was accepted by the Department for Education.

Mr Samuel is entitled to appeal with 28 days of the order.

Mossbourne Community Academy has been one of the most high-profile schools from the original academies programme. Mr Samuel began working there in July 2012 and became head of music in 2015.