Teacher Receives Lifetime Ban Following Conviction for Sexual Activity with Child
A 52-year-old teacher has been permanently struck off the teaching register after being caught on video engaging in sexual activity with a child, following a session where they consumed alcohol together. Beverley Jane Dunnage, who served as Head of Year 8 and Boarding Housemistress for Upper Sixth at St George's School in Ascot, Berkshire, has been banned for life by the Teaching Regulation Agency.
Incident Details and Legal Proceedings
The incident occurred on May 31, 2024, when Dunnage drank alcohol with a boy before encouraging him to participate in sexual activity. Another individual witnessed the event and recorded a video, as well as taking photographs, which were subsequently reported to Avon and Somerset Police. Dunnage, who had been employed at the £35,000-a-year boarding school since 2023, was arrested and dismissed by the school on July 12, 2024.
Later that same month, she was convicted at Taunton Crown Court on two counts of sexual activity with a child under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The court sentenced her to 45 months in prison. The Teaching Regulation Agency found the allegations against her proven, concluding that she breached multiple teaching standards, including the duty to safeguard pupils' well-being.
Panel Findings and Rationale for the Ban
Carlo Lygo, who chaired the regulatory hearing, noted that although the offence took place outside a school setting, Dunnage's actions were directly relevant to teaching and working with children. He stated, 'Ms Dunnage had engaged in sexual activity with a [REDACTED]-year-old boy,' emphasising that the panel viewed this as a serious offence involving a child, resulting in a prison term.
The panel considered emails highlighting Dunnage's previously 'impeccable' character and the limitations on her ability to provide evidence due to her imprisonment. In her defence, Dunnage claimed through written evidence that she committed the offences after an argument left her distraught and not thinking clearly. She also mentioned undergoing counselling in an email dated August 11, 2025, and admitted to the panel her conviction for the crimes.
Public Interest and Professional Standards
Stuart Blomfield, representing the education secretary, underscored the decision to impose a lifetime ban, stating, 'In light of the panel's findings against Ms Dunnage, which involved engaging in sexual activity with a child, there was a strong public interest consideration in the protection of pupils and other members of the public. Her actions raised obvious and significant public and child protection concerns.'
The panel determined that Dunnage's conduct significantly outweighed any public interest in retaining her as a teacher. They concluded that her behaviour fundamentally breached the expected standard of conduct for educators and involved an exploitation of her position of trust. Evidence indicated that her actions were deliberate, despite alcohol consumption at the time.
Additional factors in the ban included the severity of Dunnage's conduct and its ongoing impact on the victim. The panel also reviewed a handwritten note and letter from Dunnage in which she accepted that she would 'never be able to teach again,' further supporting the decision for a permanent prohibition from the profession.
