A "respected" Darlington teacher who engaged in sexual contact with one of her pupils has been barred from the profession for life.

Following a teacher misconduct hearing, Aimee Jones, 36, who worked at a school in Darlington, has been banned from teaching indefinitely in England.

During the hearing, which was published to the teaching misconduct results on November 16, officials said she would not be allowed to reapply for her teaching job.

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The misconduct panel said Jones, whose address in November 2021 was in Melsonby near Richmond, North Yorkshire, "had formed a relationship and engaged in sexual conduct with a pupil at the school" which was an "abuse of trust".

They also noted that during her teaching career, she had become a "respected teacher".

Jones was jailed for eight months in November 2021 after admitting four offences involving a girl aged between 13 and 17.

She sent texts to the girl, arranging to meet up in the County Durham area and engage in sexual activity, but also acknowledged that what she was doing was wrong.

Jones began working at the school in September 2016 and had progressed to the head of her department before she was arrested on school grounds on after her husband, who is a social worker, reported her to the police.

The pupil, who cannot be named for legal reasons, then made a statement to police and the following day Jones's employment was terminated, the panel said.

In a report, the panel stated “prohibition was both proportionate and appropriate” as Jones’s “extremely serious” offences involved sexual activity with a child and a clear abuse of trust 

It added: “The panel considered that public confidence in the profession could be seriously weakened if conduct such as that found against Mrs Jones was not treated with the utmost seriousness.”

Its report also said the teacher "admitted her actions to police" and, according to the sentencing judge in her case at Teesside Crown Court, showed "entirely genuine remorse" and had "a genuine concern for the wellbeing" of her victim.

The panel noted the judge's comments that there was "nothing to suggest that, save for this offending, you were anything other than a respected and good teacher".

Representing the secretary of state for education, decision maker Alan Meyrick said a ban was "necessary to maintain public confidence" in teachers, adding: "In view of the seriousness of the allegation found proved against her, I have decided that Aimee Jones shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of her eligibility to teach."

Jones was also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years after admitting four counts of abuse of a position of trust by engaging in sexual activity with a female aged between 13 and17 where she did not believe the victim to be over the age of 18.

Jones has been told she can logde an appeal against the ban within 28 days.

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