June 2015 Female PE teacher banned from classroom for sex with schoolgirl A PE teacher at a leading public school who had lesbian sex with a 15-year old-girl has been banned from the classroom for life. Lauren Chandler, 24, bombarded the Dover College pupil with texts during a nine month relationship and took her to the house of her parents during half-term, where they had sex. She repeatedly signed the messages with ‘heart’ symbols, saying ‘you’re so f****** beautiful’, ‘I love you too babe’ and ‘sleep well beautiful. Love you too.’ Miss Chandler, a house tutor and coach at the Kent school, also took the girl to a friend’s house and exchanged photographs, receiving flirtatious and inappropriate texts from the girl in return. A professional conduct panel of the National College for Teaching and Leadership in Coventry heard she took the girl, identified only as Pupil A, to her family home without the knowledge of the parents or college, where fees for boarders are up to £28,000 a year. Panel chair Marion May said: ‘Miss Chandler has shown a serious disregard for the personal and professional conduct elements of the Teachers’ Standards. ‘She has abused her position of trust by causing her relationship with Pupil A to develop beyond proper professional boundaries. ‘She has committed serious sexual misconduct with a child. Her actions were deliberate and repeated. ‘In addition, she has not demonstrated any remorse or insight into her behaviour having not engaged with this process in any significant way.’ She added: ‘This case concerns a teacher who it is alleged formed an inappropriate and sexual relationship with a 15-year-old pupil at the college where she was a games coach, a teacher and a residential house tutor.  ‘We are satisfied that the text messages exchanged and in particular their regularity and content, including photos exchanged, are demonstrative of an inappropriate relationship having been formed by Miss Chandler with Pupil A. ‘This finding is further supported by evidence of Pupil A having stayed for several days with Miss Chandler at her parents’ house. ‘Furthermore there is evidence that Miss Chandler lied about the age and status of Pupil A to her parents and Pupil A lied to her parents about her own whereabouts during the relevant half term break.’  Miss Chandler did not attend the hearing and made clear she had no intention of seeking representation or putting forward a defence. The hearing was told the relationship lasted between October 2012 and June 2013.  Miss Chandler was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. Mrs May said criminal investigations did not follow only because of the reluctance of Pupil A, supported by her parents, to take matters further. Miss Chandler was prohibited from teaching indefinitely meaning she cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. But the panel recommended she be allowed to apply to have the prohibition order reviewed after a minimum period of five years on the grounds she is young and had not, at the relevant time, undertaken professional teacher training. But decision maker Paul Heathcote, on behalf of the Secretary of State, refused this.  He said: ‘The Secretary of State’s advice “Teacher misconduct: the prohibition of teachers” is clear that where serious sexual misconduct is involved the panel should consider recommending a prohibition order with no provision for review.  ‘Miss Chandler’s actions were sexually motivated and had the potential to result in harm to Pupil A.’