Glasgow drama teacher who had baby with school pupil struck off

A teacher in Glasgow who had a baby with a school pupil has been struck from the register.

The secondary school drama teacher, referred to as Teacher B in the General Teaching Council ruling, became pregnant after embarking on a sexual relationship with the male pupil, referred to as Pupil A.

It had been alleged that the sexual relationship began when the pupil was under the age of 18, but the charge was amended to state the pupil was aged between 18 and 20, which the teacher accepted.

The sexual relationship occurred between December 2019 and an unknown date in 2022, during which the teacher gave birth to the pupil’s child in July 2021.

The teacher also admitted travelling alone on public transport with the boy and driving him alone in her car between August 2017 and November 2018, which she admitted was a lapse of judgment and that she should have maintained professional boundaries.

The teacher maintained that her sexual relationship with the pupil did not begin until he had left school, but said her attitude towards him was relaxed while he was a pupil and said she should have maintained clearer boundaries.

She stated she had not abused her position and had not intentionally breached professional standards.

The teacher told the GTC that she was a “different person now”, asked that her past “not define her future”, and she was embarking on a new career.

Following the Fitness to Practice hearing, it was determined that the proven allegations amounted to serious misconduct.

The panel stated that while the teacher demonstrated “some genuine remorse”, the teacher failed to see the wider context of her misconduct and “saw herself as a victim”.

She had also “no awareness of the impact of her behaviour on Pupil A, the reputations of the profession or public confidence”.

As a result, the teacher was found to be unfit to teach and struck from the register.

She will be allowed to reapply to the register after two years.