A man has been banned from teaching indefinitely after he told one or more pupils he loved them and told another he wanted to cuddle her and discussed with pupils his preferences in women.

Robert Ferguson, a former employee at Dartford Science and Technology College, was alleged to have made the remarks in or around 2015.

A National College for Teaching and Leadership conduct panel found judged he had behaved of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.

The panel heard evidence from seven witnesses including six pupils at the school.

Mr Ferguson was employed at the school - rated 'good' by Ofsted - from 2002 and subsequently resigned from the School in July last year following several allegations of inappropriate physical contact and verbal communication with pupils.

The panel heard of behaviour “which involved numerous incidents of inappropriate physical contact and verbal communications with pupils that made them feel uncomfortable.”

One witness claimed that during an after-school session in Mr Ferguson’s classroom he stood near her and told her a joke about when he was younger on a boat which involved the phrase “w*** the crank”.

She said Mr Ferguson laughed but that she felt awkward.

One pupil said pupil she saw Mr Ferguson stand behind pupils, put his arms around them and guide their hands to use a band saw machine.

She said that he would stand quite close to them and look over their shoulder and that she saw Mr Ferguson hug one of the pupils giving evidence in the corridor outside the classroom.

 

Mr Ferguson was also alleged to have said he wanted to cuddle a pupil and that he told an autistic pupil she had enough muscles to perform a task.

He is also alleged to have discussed with pupils the preference in women, the size or weight of one or more pupils and the size he considered to be fat.

This was corroborated by another pupil who claimed that she was present and heard those words and also felt awkward. Mr Ferguson admitted he said this in his written representations.

A pupil also claimed that on one occasion Mr Ferguson claimed there was something on her apron, then flicked his finger to touch the tip of her nose. Two pupils claimed they saw him do this to pupils, although Mr Ferguson denied this allegation.

In the panel’s report they say that Mr Ferguson led one pupil by the hand into his preparation room.

She said she tried to move her hand away as she did not feel this was appropriate for a teacher to do.

In a report, decision maker Alan Meyrick said: “In light of the panel’s findings against Mr Ferguson, which involved numerous incidents of inappropriate physical contact and verbal communications with pupils that made them feel uncomfortable, there is a strong public interest consideration in the protection of pupils.

“The panel also considers that public confidence in the profession could be seriously weakened if conduct such as that found against Mr Ferguson were not treated with the utmost seriousness when regulating the conduct of the profession.”

The panel said it was satisfied that Mr Ferguson is guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and banned from teaching indefinitely.