A TEACHER has been banned from the profession for life after having an affair with a sixth form student.

Christopher Hawkes-King, 35, who was a teacher at Furze Platt Senior School, Maidenhead, allowed the young woman, who was over 18, to masturbate him while on school premises, touched her breasts and exchanged intimate photos with her over Skype.

A disciplinary panel of the National College for Teaching and Leadership, which is part of the Department for Education, found the allegations proven in a report released today, May 19. 

In conclusion, decision maker Alan Meyrick, said: "This means that Mr Christopher Hawkes-King is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England.

"Furthermore, in view of the seriousness of the allegations found proved against him, I have decided that he shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach."

The panel found the teacher, who was suspended from the school in Furze Platt Road in November 2015, guilty of unacceptable professional conduct. He later resigned from his post in December the same year. The report noted that Mr Hawkes-King and the young woman had been sending each other 'flirtatious' emails and this led to sexting each other outside of school.

When a relative reported an allegation of him having an affair with a student to the school, he admitted it, the report said. He also admitted the allegations against him and said that his behaviour had been unacceptable.

The report noted that his record had previously been clean and there was no evidence he had engaged in similar behaviour before.

The report said: "He recognises that what he has done has already caused many people emotional distress."