Paedophile Wigan teacher is hit with a lifetime classroom ban

Craig Slater, 41, who taught at The Byrchall High School in Ashton, was jailed at Bolton Crown Court in April 2021 after pleading guilty to five counts of sexual activity with a child, three counts of making indecent images of a child, engaging in sexual communications with a child, inciting a child to watch sexual activity and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Now in the wake of the court case, the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) has banned him for life from ever teaching again.

In their findings they said that Slater had met the boy on an adult dating site and the boy had initially said he was 16 but had later told Slater that he was only 15.

Despite that the disciplinary panel findings say that Slater continued meeting the boy.

The findings say that Slater had “demonstrated a concerning lack of insight and remorse” in respect of his actions.

They continue: “He did not appear to appreciate the gravity of his conduct. He had exploited his position of trust, engaged in grooming behaviour and committed serious offences against a child.

"There was little evidence that Mr Slater had taken steps to address his offending behaviour.

"For this reason, the panel considered there was no strong evidence that it would not be repeated.”

In many cases where teachers are banned from teaching the way is left open for them to seek to have the ban lifted after a set period of years, but in this case the panel said there should be no opportunity for Slater to seek to return to teaching.

The findings say: “The panel did not consider that Mr Slater had demonstrated significant insight or remorse and it was concerned about the risk of repetition.

"The panel did not therefore believe that Mr Slater should be allowed to teach again.”

Agreeing with the panel and imposing the life time ban on behalf of the Education Secretary, TRA decision maker, Sarah Buxcey said she considered that imposing the life-time ban was “necessary to maintain public confidence” and was “proportionate and in the public interest.”