Rossall School's former music teacher slammed for inappropriate emails to pupils

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) held a hearing into the conduct of Thomas Allen Peter Edney, who was employed as the Assistant Director of Music at the Rossall School in Fleetwood between September 2020 and March 2021. Further to Mr Edney's teaching and music commitments, he was also appointed as a Deputy Houseparent to one of the School’s boarding houses. This was a ‘live-in’ role in which Mr Edney would provide pastoral support to the House’s pupils.

On 23 March 2021, Mr Edney offered his resignation, which was accepted by the school. Following this, the school made a referral to the TRA, which resulted in the hearing.

Findings

It was proved that Mr Edney failed to maintain appropriate and/or professional boundaries with one or more pupils, by making one or more inappropriate comments by email. A report states: “At the heart of all of these messages was the total collapse of the expected professional boundaries between a teacher and pupil. That was clear when messages were considered individually and collectively. They included messages which commented on other pupils and the School in disparaging terms, they even made light of the concerns being raised by others about aspects of the relationship between himself and Pupil A (such as the reference to them wearing the same type of clothes).”

In November 2020, Mr Edney raised concerns with colleagues that other pupils had begun making comments about Pupil A and him and a perceived relationship, mainly as a result of them often seeing the two of them together. Mr Edney further raised that it might be that Pupil A had developed a crush on him.

The emails from Mr Edney to pupils contained swearing, terms of endearment such as ‘queen’, and emojis. The report states: “Edney did not seem to have any regard to the possible issue of misinterpretation of the use of such emojis, particularly those including hearts, by the pupils.”

Rossall School pupils train with Manchester City In the round, Mr Edney admitted these allegations. In his witness statement, he said: “I completely accept that the language that I used in my email communication with Pupils A and B was not professional and or appropriate as a teacher.” However, he denied that several messages were inappropriate or crossed this professional boundary, when read in their proper context. It was also proved that Mr Edney told a member of staff he was going to the music department to tidy up and/or organise himself, and did not inform anybody of an arranged meeting with Pupil A. The panel concluded that Mr Edney had been dishonest and that his behaviour lacked integrity.

Not proved

An allegation that Edney met with Pupil A on a one to one basis in a classroom on or around 14 March 2021, despite being advised not to in November 2020, was not proved.

Conclusion

The panel found that the conduct of Mr Edney “fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession”. Members found that he was guilty of unacceptable and professional conduct and that his actions constituted conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.

In deciding whether a prohibition order preventing Mr Edney from teaching was appropriate, the panel reflected upon his remorse and decided that there was a public interest consideration in retaining the teacher in the profession “since no doubt had been cast upon his abilities as an educator and he is able to make a valuable contribution to the profession.”

Decision maker Sarah Buxcey said: “I consider that the publication of the findings made would be sufficient to send an appropriate message to the teacher as to the standards of behaviour that were not acceptable and that the publication would meet the public interest requirement of declaring proper standards of the profession.”

Rossall School has been contacted for a comment