A MUSIC teacher from Abingdon School has been banned from teaching indefinitely after a professional conduct panel heard about his sexual relationship with a pupil.

Simon Whalley, 47, had relations with a male pupil who was in the fifth and sixth forms between 2000 and 2002.

The panel heard Mr Whalley had bought the student alcohol, invited him round to his flat, and had a sexual relationship with him.

Felicity Lusk, headteacher of the all boys school in Abingdon, said she was "deeply saddened" by what had happened.

She said: "Teachers hold a position of trust and the former member of staff betrayed the trust of the pupils, the school and that of the teaching profession.

"His conduct was completely unacceptable. A school must be an environment where young people are safe.

"This is Abingdon’s first priority. All pupils are encouraged to raise any concerns they may have, whether about themselves or someone else, and they know that there are people that they can turn to for support."

Mr Whalley has now been banned from teaching after a hearing by the National College for Teaching and Leadership.

He was a teacher at the school between 2000 and 2014. 

In 2014 the school was contacted by the former pupil who raised his concerns about what had happened. 

The panel heard Mr Whalley had also bought alcohol for other pupils and invited them to his flat on occasions. 

In the panel's report it said Mr Whalley "showed a flagrant disregard for appropriate boundaries between teacher and pupils."

The report added: "It was entirely inappropriate for him to permit himself to be as friendly with pupils as he did, and in particular to be complicit in underage drinking in pubs and bars. 

"The panel has found that the sexual relationship that developed between him and Pupil A was a direct result of the targeted grooming of a young man attempting to come to terms with his sexuality."