English Teacher Banned After Inappropriate Emails to Student
A veteran teacher has been permanently barred from the profession after admitting he had "fallen a little bit in love" with a student through a series of inappropriate emails.
Elliott Smith, 50, who had taught English at Belper School in Derbyshire for 17 years, was dismissed in May 2023 following an investigation into his communications with a female student referred to as 'Student A' in disciplinary proceedings.
Boundary Crossings and Literary References
The professional conduct panel heard how Smith sent multiple emails to the student, including one on July 13, 2022, where he confessed to romantic feelings. He admitted placing her deliberately at the front of his classroom, a position usually reserved for students with educational or behavioural needs, because "I liked you being there."
In another concerning message, Smith quoted Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, telling the student: "'He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun. Yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.'…You are the sun."
The panel determined these communications were "clearly inappropriate" and represented a serious breach of professional boundaries.
Further Concerning Behaviour
Student A reported additional worrying interactions, including Smith offering to take her to bookshops and suggesting they might "bump into each other" at a local tennis club after learning she played the sport. The student described this comment as "strange" during her testimony.
Smith also gave the student books, claiming his bookshelf was overflowing and inviting her to take some from his classroom.
Professional Consequences
Following a hearing on October 20, decision-maker Sarah Buxcey imposed an indefinite prohibition order, stating it was necessary to "maintain public confidence in the profession."
She emphasised that Smith cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, youth accommodation or children's home in England, and is not entitled to apply for restoration of his teaching eligibility due to the seriousness of the misconduct.
Smith, who had worked at the Derbyshire school since 2006, retains the right to appeal to the High Court within 28 days, though the original decision described his insight into the misconduct as insufficient.
