A FORMER deputy head teacher in Derbyshire who told the head that one of his female pupils "loves me to bits and I love her to bits" has been banned from the country's classrooms.
The ban was imposed on Christopher Mallinson, 57 - who was assistant head and head of performing arts at the William Allitt School, in Newhall, where he taught from 1995 to 2013 - by Education Secretary Nicky Morgan.
However, after two years, he will be allowed to seek to have the ban - which follows a finding by the National Council of Teaching and Leadership of unacceptable professional conduct - lifted.
A disciplinary panel found that, despite warnings from his head teacher, Mallinson had "displayed a pattern of inappropriate behaviour and failing to adhere to professional boundaries with pupils."
Complaints against him included that he gave one girl a lift home in his car unaccompanied; kissed her on the forehead on one occasion; sat on the floor of the drama studio with his legs over hers; hugged her in the studio area of the school and made the comment to the head teacher about her "loving him to bits."
Two other complaints were that he had hugged other students and that during a lesson, regarding conflict and rape, he had left the classroom and returned with a pair of scissors and held her hair and put the scissors close to her neck and spoken into her ear.
The panel's findings say he was given a letter by the head teacher, warning him not to put himself in a vulnerable position with the first girl but the findings say: "The inappropriate relationship did not cease."
The findings say that Mallinson admits the allegations against him and that they amount to unacceptable professional conduct.
Imposing the ban, council official Paul Heathcote said: "Mr Mallinson has acted in an overtly physical way with pupils on a number of occasions, allowing a distinct blurring of professional boundaries.
"This is despite him being warned and advised about his behaviour on more than one occasion. Mr Mallinson has shown little appreciation of the inappropriate nature of his behaviour."
He continued: "Mr Mallinson's behaviour was not sexually motivated and there is no evidence to suggest that pupils have suffered harm as a consequence of his behaviour. He was regarded as a valued member of the teaching staff."
Nevertheless, he said he agreed with the disciplinary panel's recommendation that he should be banned but given the opportunity to seek to set aside the ban after a minimum of two years.
Mr Heathcote added: "This would allow him to reflect upon his attitude to his conduct and demonstrate that any ongoing concerns have been satisfactorily resolved."
Mallinson has the right to appeal to the High Court against the decision.
