Yahoo News Banned teacher who had sexual relationship with pupil is now using a different name
A disgraced headteacher who was jailed for having a sexual relationship with a pupil is now going by a new name.
Mark Craster-Chambers, a former deputy headteacher at John Ruskin School in Coniston, was jailed for 18 months in 2021 after being convicted of engaging in sexual activity with a 16-year-old pupil. The following year he was banned from teaching for life following a hearing by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).
The TRA has this month updated details of his ban due to him using a new name. The agency has re-published the prohibition order, which effectively prevents Craster-Chambers, who now goes by the first name Eliot, from ever working in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.
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In its update the TRA said the alias has been "added for transparency and identification purposes".
Reports from his trial revealed that Craster-Chambers was seen kissing the female student in a car shortly after she turned 16. He also engaged in further unlawful sexual acts with her at his house on other occasions.
The TRA hearing in August 2022, parts of which were held in private, heard that Craster-Chambers accepted he had been convicted of the offences but he still did not accept the allegations were true.
Craster-Chambers had been employed as a teacher at John Ruskin School from September 2001 to August 2005. He then went on to hold a number of other teaching posts at other schools.
The TRA panel heard that in 2017, a former pupil of the school made a complaint to the police that she had engaged in sexual activity with Craster-Chambers, and he was subsequently convicted after a trial at Carlisle Crown Court. During the hearing Craster-Chambers "strenuously maintained his position that he was not guilty of committing the offences".
The prohibition order made reference to the judge's sentencing remarks in which he said: "You knew that she was vulnerable. You knew that because of information that was shared with you in a professional capacity. You knew that because you were a daily visitor at her home.
"You sat at the same table as her, listening to the stories of the day. You were a friend to [Pupil A's carer] who, at the time of your offending, was, to use a phrase of which you were so fond yourself, in loco parentis for [PupilA]. That you engaged in sexual activity with [Pupil A], a pupil who you knew to be vulnerable, was a gross breach of trust."
The TRA panel noted that Craster-Chambers, a teacher of 18 years, left teaching in 2017 "of his own choosing" before the criminal allegations were made against him. Craster-Chambers told the panel that "he had no intention of returning to teaching and was of the opinion that he could no longer recommend that anyone went into the profession following his experience of these allegations".
As well as the lifetime ban the panel ruled that Craster-Chambers "shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach".
