Teacher who had sex with former pupil on school trip banned from classroom nearly 15 years later

A teacher has been banned from the classroom after having sex with a former pupil on a school trip.

Paul Stuart-Turner, who used to teach at Saffron Walden County High School in Essex, had a sexual relationship with a pupil shortly after she left the school nearly 15 years ago, a panel heard.

The 56-year-old had sexual intercourse with the ex-pupil in 2005 during a school-organised expedition.

Mr Stuart-Turner, who began teaching at the school in 1996, has now been given an indefinite prohibition order.

The panel heard that he entered into a relationship with the former pupil until October 2008.

Mr Stuart-Turner was dismissed from the school in March 2018 after the girl raised allegations of abuse. This triggered a police investigation but no further action was taken against him.

The teacher said he had no physical contact with the girl before July 2005, “nor any other student in 21 years of teaching”.

The former headteacher at the school described Mr Stuart-Turner as an “excellent teacher” with “excellent exam results”.

Mr Stuart-Turner had a previously good history, the panel heard, and they accepted the incident was “out of character”.

But the panel concluded: “In the panel’s experience of that era, it considers that it was not appropriate for a teacher to engage in sexual intercourse with a former pupil so soon after that pupil had left.”

Mr Stuart-Turner, who has the right to appeal against his ban, could apply for it to be set aside in 2025.