A TEACHER who demonstrated a "seriously flawed" understanding of his professional responsibilities by driving a schoolboy to a farm field for sex has been banned from teaching.

A National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) panel said it had been particularly concerned that Andrew James Duffell, who resigned as an information technology teacher at Easingwold School, in North Yorkshire, in 2013, had believed he only had a duty of care to pupils at his school.

After finding Mr Duffell guilty of unacceptable professional conduct last month, the NCTL said he should not be allowed to continue his career after taking a 14-year-old boy from Stockton to a secluded spot in the North-East before having sexual relations in the car.

The hearing was told Mr Duffell, 29, who was made the school's assistant principal teacher in Business and Enterprise in 2011, had seduced the boy, who attended a different school, on Facebook in 2012.

They later met in July 2012 and swapped sexual WhatsApp messages, which were later found by the boy's mother.

Mr Duffell was suspended three months later, when the allegations came to light, and resigned from the school, whose former pupils include Sir Clive Woodward and former Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Stephen Hester, in 2013.

Although Cleveland Police began an investigation, the NCTL panel heard the case was dropped and the force have confirmed Mr Duffell was not facing any criminal charges.

The teacher denied having sex with the boy or knowing he was 14.

NCTL panel chair Jean Carter said Mr Duffell had no regard for the need to safeguard the boy's well-being and failed to act in a way which did not exploit his vulnerability

She added: "As a teacher, it was inappropriate for Mr Duffell to engage in conversations of a sexual nature or any sexual activity with any person under the age of 18."

Mrs Carter said it had become apparent the boy was not mature for his age, lacked in confidence and it was likely that Mr Duffell took advantage of his particular vulnerabilities.

She said: "The panel was concerned by Mr Duffell's attitude, as displayed during his meeting with his employer and during his police interview where he stated that he only had a position of trust with pupils in his own school.

"He demonstrated a seriously flawed and misconceived understanding of his wider professional responsibilities as a teacher, by failing to recognise his responsibility for the safeguarding of any young person under the age of 18."