Somerset teacher banned after crossing professional boundaries with pupil

A former science teacher in Somerset, Bradley Harris, has been banned from the classroom following a professional conduct panel's investigation into his interactions with a pupil.

Formerly employed at The King Alfred School in Highbridge, Harris was found to have crossed professional boundaries by exchanging social media messages and participating in an Instagram phone call with a student. The panel also determined that he met the pupil outside of school and contacted them while under suspension, despite explicit instructions not to do so.

Additional findings included a failure to follow safeguarding procedures in a timely manner and instances where Harris requested other students leave his classroom to be alone with the pupil. The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) concluded that his actions constituted misconduct of a serious nature that fell significantly short of professional standards. The panel did not find that the conduct was sexual in nature.