Shock at level of sex abuse in schools

One school staff member a month is suspended from work across the north of England accused of having sexual relationships with pupils.

Child abuse campaigners have reacted with shock after it was revealed scores of teachers, cleaners, janitors and other workers have been sent home over claims of inappropriate behaviour with pupils.

In more than half the cases the perpetrators were charged by police.

The revelations come just weeks after former teacher Joseph Kinnear was jailed for the second time after being found guilty of carrying out sex assaults on young girls.

The 59-year-old former middle school PE teacher, from Morpeth, Northumberland, was sentenced to four years after a jury found him guilty of nine sex assaults on schoolgirls between 1979 and 1982.

A Sunday Post probe of 12 education authorities across the North West and North East revealed 66 school employees of primary, secondary and post-16 schools have been suspended over the past five years accused of sexual relationships with pupils aged under 18.

A staggering 35 were charged by police, while two received cautions.

Jon Bird, of The National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said: “We hear accounts and we are supporting people who are now in their 30s, 40s, 50s or 60s, so the kind of abuse we hear about occurred some time ago.

“There has been a pattern over the decades of teachers going into the profession in order to abuse people.

“My first response is that it is shocking that many people are being arrested but on the flipside you would say it is good they are being spotted.”

Dianne Ludlow, of child abuse charity One in Four, called for every local authority in the country to be compelled to publish annual statistics showing the numbers of allegations and prosecutions involving school staff.

She said: “Transparency is key and many local authorities already provide for an independent investigation of allegations.

“Putting this on a mandatory footing would be a good way of ensuring transparency and avoiding any conflict of interest within a school.

“We would like to see the figures published annually within a local authority as a whole.

“This allows transparency, while protecting schools from any stigma which could unfairly result.

“We are aware of a case in South London last year where a supply teacher left the school following the discovery that he was inducing pupils to meet him off site.

“A concerned parent was not satisfied with the letter sent out to parents, phoned the local authority designated officer and discovered that it had not been reported to him as was required.

“Teachers, including supply teachers, who resign without full procedures having taken place can potentially move to another area or school without necessarily citing their previous school as a reference.

“This appears to be a potential loophole that we would like to see clarified.”

A Department for Education spokesperson, said: “Teachers are in privileged position of trust and we insist on the highest professional standards from them at all times. All allegations should be treated with the utmost seriousness.”

“Head teachers are best placed to tackle misconduct but the most serious cases are referred to the National College for Teaching and Leadership.”