Teacher Banned Over Late-Night Messages to Pupil

A former science teacher at Trafalgar School in Portsmouth has been banned from the teaching profession for sending more than 160 WhatsApp messages to a pupil. The messages were exchanged between Richard Hill and the girl over a two-week period in June 2024, with some of the messages making the pupil feel uncomfortable.

The Teaching Regulation Agency panel found Hill's conduct fell significantly short of the standards expected of teachers. The panel said there was no evidence the messages were sexually motivated, but they were deemed unprofessional and over-familiar. Hill admitted most of the allegations but denied any sexual motive.

More than 140 of the messages were sent after 18:00 BST, with some conversations continuing until after midnight. In one message, Hill wrote, “You are the absolute exception in terms of contact details.” In another, he said, “Don’t make me have to punish you!”, which the pupil said made her feel “icky”. The pupil told the panel she now had “some trust issues and anxiety, particularly with men”.

The school received a complaint from the girl's mother in July 2024 and suspended Hill. He was arrested, but police took no further action. Hill was fired by the school in November 2024. The Education Secretary banned Hill from teaching indefinitely, overruling the panel's recommendation of publication of the findings alone. Hill can apply to have the ban lifted from October 2028 and has 28 days to appeal to the High Court.