Portsmouth Teacher Stuart Smith Banned for "Premier League" Comment, Inappropriate Contact with Pupil

Stuart Smith, 48, formerly a PE teacher, assistant head of Year 11, and head of house at Mayville High School in Portsmouth, Hampshire, has been prohibited from teaching indefinitely. A professional conduct panel concluded he had been "overfamiliar" and established an "emotional personal relationship" with a pupil.

Misconduct Findings and Communication

The misconduct hearing detailed that Smith became "increasingly close" to a student during a school trip, engaging in frequent one-to-one conversations and exchanging numerous WhatsApp messages following their return. In one message, presented to the Teaching Regulation Agency panel, Smith wrote: "So, today I've seen a lot of my favourite people and done some fun things but I would have swapped it all for a cup of milo, a game of spoons and just being silly with you." Another message saw him tell the student she was "Premier League and one of my favourite people on the planet," also referring to her as the best "hoody stealer," "bracelet addict," and "Mona Lisa friend."

Smith acknowledged his messages were at times "too friendly and overfamiliar," attributing it to the extensive time spent with the pupil. He later stated, in writing, that the messages were unprofessional and "blurred the lines between what is acceptable and not." The panel also found that on the journey home from the school trip, after the pupil stated she intended to sleep, Smith suggested she could place her legs over him. The panel found proven the allegation that Smith then "rubbed" and "touched" the pupil's thigh with his hands, an accusation he "categorically" denied. Further findings included Smith possessing photographs of the student, purchasing her a fabric bracelet, and exchanging personal mobile telephone numbers with pupils.

Police Investigation and Professional Consequences

Smith was arrested in October 2023 on suspicion of sexual assault and suspended from the school. The police investigation concluded in December 2023 with no further action. Smith resigned from the school, where fees for senior students are approximately £18,000 annually, in the same month.

The panel determined Smith's conduct involved "serious and repeated failures to maintain proper professional boundaries with a pupil and a failure to act in accordance with safeguarding expectations, requirements and responsibilities." The report concluded that these actions "seriously undermined the standards expected of a teacher and he sought to exploit his position of trust." Smith can apply for the prohibition order to be set aside in 2029 and retains a right of appeal at the High Court.