MR COCKS BANNED FROM TEACHING

LESSONS IN LOVE: Regents Park School

A NEWLY qualified teacher who had a four-month affair with a pupil and who also kissed another student, has been banned from teaching for life.

James Cocks, 33, taught Music at Regents Park School in Southampton from 2008 and 2012.

In 2018 an allegation was made by a pupil that nine years earlier, in 2009, she had been involved in a sexual relationship with him when he was 23.

The Teaching Regulation Agency panel heard that shortly after she took her final exam, they made contact via social media and between June and September a “consensual sexual relationship took place”.

A further complaint emerged that he had kissed a second girl pupil while he was a teacher there – again after she had left the school.

A police investigation took place and in July 2018 he was arrested and interviewed under caution.

But the panel sitting in Coventry heard he lied to police about both incidents.

Cocks admitted that he did have sex with one girl and kissed the other.

The panel found his lies to police were dishonest and lacked integrity.

Cocks admitted the allegations and accepted his conduct had been unacceptable and that he had brought the profession into disrepute.

From 2015 to 2019 when he quit, he was Director of Music at the Vandean School in Brighton.

Cocks has been banned for life from teaching again, said decision maker

Alan Meyrick, adding: “Although there has been no repetition of the conduct, the panel did not consider Mr Cocks showed adequate evidence of insight in his representations.

“The panel considered that despite his admissions Mr Cocks has sought to minimise his actions.

“Mr Cocks was in a position of responsibility and ought not to have had a sexual relationship with Pupil A.”

The panel said his lies were “dishonest and unacceptable for a teacher”.