A former primary school head teacher has been barred from teaching due to severe sexual misconduct involving three colleagues. Kevin Pratt, 37, was head teacher at Axminster Community Primary Academy and assistant head teacher at Cranbrook Education Campus when the incidents occurred, including having sex with a staff member in a cupboard and masturbating on school grounds.
A recent Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) professional conduct panel meeting described his actions with junior colleagues as “calculated and motivated”. Pratt, formerly of Bath, led Axminster Community Primary Academy from September 1, 2020, and previously worked as assistant head teacher at Cranbrook Education Campus from September 1, 2017.
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(Image: DevonLive)
A colleague at Axminster Community Primary Academy, known as Person A, reported to the trust on May 25, 2021, that she had a prior sexual relationship with Pratt, who abused his authority. She alleged a similar relationship between Pratt and another colleague, Person B, at Cranbrook Education Centre.
Person A stated Pratt instructed her to keep their relationship “secret”, with explicit messages being a key feature in relationships with Person A and Person B. Mr Pratt was caught sending raunchy messages to a third colleague, referred to as Person D, at Axminster Community Primary Academy.
He admitted to chasing a personal relationship with her, including texts about wanting to get frisky in an office. He even confessed to saying he’d stand by the door and watch her “play with herself”, reports the Mirror.
Mr Pratt also admitted to having sex with Person B on school grounds, in an office and a school cupboard. And he performed a solo sex act during a video call with Person B while at the school on March 29, 2021.
(Image: DevonLive/BPM Media)
When asked during an internal disciplinary probe about his liaisons with Person A and Person D, Mr Pratt initially denied everything on May 26, 2021. However, the teacher, who had a clean record until now, eventually handed over a signed statement of agreed facts, owning up to unprofessional behaviour that could tarnish the reputation of the teaching profession. He faced seven charges and admitted to each one.
The misconduct hearing panel found him guilty of sexual activity, grave dishonesty, and coercive control. The notice disclosed: “The panel noted that the evidence showed that Mr Pratt’s actions were deliberate. There was no evidence to suggest that Mr Pratt was acting under duress, and, in fact, the panel found Mr Pratt actions to be calculated and motivated.”
Mr Pratt was recognised for his “seriously inappropriate behaviour” inflicting clear harm on those he supervised, with his conduct flagrantly flouting safeguarding rules and professional codes.
Full fruition of allegations against Mr Pratt led the panel to impose an ‘indefinite’ prohibition order on him, eliminating any chances of a review. As per the decision notice, “The panel did not feel that it could determine that there was a strong public interest consideration in retaining Mr Pratt in the profession.”
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