Teacher struck off after asking girl to wear uniform for sex

A teacher has been banned from the classroom after asking a girl to wear her school uniform when they had sex.

Benjamin Hiscox, 34, was working as a maths teacher at South Nottinghamshire Academy when he engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with the child between October 2022 and February 2023.

The girl had been a pupil at Madras College, in St Andrews, Scotland, where the 34-year-old had completed his teacher training.

The pair later began speaking on social media and their conversation quickly became sexual in nature, a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel heard.

The panel found Hiscox asked the girl to bring her uniform and put it on in a hotel room on 28 October 2022, when they “had sex on a number of occasions”.

Among the other “serious” findings were that he bought her a sex toy, exchanged sexual messages, including photos and videos, and gave her alcohol.

In her police statement, speaking of the October 2022 hotel stay, the pupil said: “[Hiscox] asked me to bring my school clothes to the hotel.” Then, when in the room, she said: “[Hiscox] asked me to put on my school uniform. My [uniform] is a short black skirt, white [shirt] and tie.”

The TRA panel described Hiscox’s behaviour as “sustained” and “with the sole intention of that behaviour moving into physically inappropriate contact for the purposes of his sexual gratification – it was akin to grooming behaviours”. Consequently, it said that his actions were “at the higher end of the spectrum of serious misconduct”.

The panel said a prohibition order was “both proportionate and appropriate”. It pointed especially to the current risk to children posed by Hiscox as well as the potential damage to public confidence in teaching if a ban was not imposed.

“Accordingly, the panel made a recommendation to the Secretary of State that a prohibition order should be imposed with immediate effect,” it said.

A review period was also not allowed due to the case being one of “serious sexual misconduct” involving a child and indecent images of a child.

In his response this month, David Oatley, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, said: “In this case, I have placed considerable weight on the comments of the panel about the serious nature of the misconduct, the risk to children and the likely damage to confidence in the teaching profession if a prohibition were not imposed.

“I have also placed considerable weight on the panel’s comments concerning the lack of insight and remorse.”

He concluded that Hiscox should be prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

In light of the seriousness of the allegations found proved against him, Mr Oatley added that Hiscox cannot apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.

The order took effect as soon as it was served on Hiscox. He had a right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days.