Primary School Teacher Struck Off Following Discovery of Explicit Online Content
A primary school teacher has been permanently removed from the teaching profession after a tribunal heard she appeared in sexually explicit online videos under the description 'granny schoolteacher'. The Teaching Regulation Agency conduct panel made the decision following an investigation into Lyndi Corston's activities outside the classroom.
Colleague's Discovery Triggers Investigation
The 61-year-old teacher, who worked for Engage Education/Workwell Ltd of London, came under scrutiny in September 2024 when a colleague at Rye Primary School in Sussex noticed a push notification from the OnlyFans platform on her mobile phone. When confronted about this discovery, Mrs Corston admitted the account belonged to her but claimed it only contained nudity rather than sexual acts, and was not registered under her personal name.
Following this initial revelation, school authorities instructed her to close the account and sign an enhanced code of conduct, which she complied with at the time. However, the matter escalated significantly in January 2025 when her employer received information that she had been identified on a pornographic website engaging in sexual activity.
Explicit Content and Professional Consequences
The tribunal heard detailed evidence about Mrs Corston's online activities between January 2023 and January 2025. She had produced sexually explicit videos that appeared on various internet platforms, including content behind paywalls. One particularly concerning video showed her engaging in sexual intercourse, which was available for public viewing online.
During the hearing, Mrs Corston consistently and unequivocally accepted her actions as alleged by the panel. She expressed regret for her behaviour and offered apologies for the situation she had created. Despite her contrition, the panel determined that her conduct constituted unacceptable professional behaviour that could potentially bring the teaching profession into disrepute.
Panel's Reasoning and Final Decision
The conduct panel acknowledged that individuals have a right to a private life, but emphasised that this right is not unqualified for those working in education. In their written decision, they stated: "Whilst conduct outside of the education setting, this was conduct that linked to the way she fulfilled her teaching role and could, potentially, have led to pupils being exposed to, or influenced by the behaviour in a harmful way."
Decision maker Stuart Blomfield, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, imposed an indefinite prohibition order preventing Mrs Corston from teaching in any school or educational institution. However, the ruling does include a provision that she may apply to have the prohibition lifted after a minimum period of two years, should she wish to return to the profession in the future.
Mrs Corston had been working as an Early Years Foundation Stage teacher and had been employed at Rye Primary School on a short-term supply basis since November 2022. The case highlights ongoing concerns about the boundaries between educators' private lives and their professional responsibilities in an increasingly digital age.
