Former head of St Bartholomew Primary School in West Pinchbeck and Bourne Town Juniors Football coach James Shawley banned from teaching indefinitely
A primary school headteacher has been banned from the profession indefinitely following his conviction for ‘sexting’ and arranging to meet someone he thought was a 14-year-old boy.
James Shawley, the former head of St Bartholomew Primary School in West Pinchbeck and Bourne Town Juniors Football coach, was jailed for four-and-a-half years in 2021 after he had been caught in a sting operation when he contacted a covert police officer posing as a 14 year old.
Now Shawley cannot teach in any school, college, children’s home or youth accommodation after a prohibition order was made by the Secretary of State for education on the advice of the Teaching Regulation Authority.
David Oatley, who made the decision on behalf of the Secretary of State, has refused to allow the order to be reviewed.
He stated in a report: “These elements are the very serious nature of the offences of which Mr Shawley was convicted, the lack of full insight and remorse, and the damage to the public’s perception of the teaching profession.
“I consider therefore that allowing for no review period is necessary to maintain public confidence and is proportionate and in the public interest.
“This means that Mr James Shawley 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 Mr Shawley shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.”
Shawley, formerly of Hereward Street, Bourne, denied two charges of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and further charges of attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child and attempting to facilitate or arrange a child sex offence.
The charges related to dates between December 8 and 23, 2019.
He was found guilty by a jury in 2021 at the end of a three-day trial.
Shawley was placed on the sex offenders register for life and barred from working with children for life.
He was also given a 15 year sexual harm prevention order.
A TRA panel of three people made a recommendation to the secretary of state in October that a prohibition order should be imposed with immediate effect.
The report stated: “Mr Shawley was an experienced teacher and leader who was in a position of trust and responsibility. He was also a role model. He had fallen far short of the standards expected of him in that regard.”
It also went on to say: “Mr Shawley's actions were fundamentally incompatible with his being a teacher. This was conduct at the serious end of the spectrum.
“The nature and gravity of these offences was a matter of significant concern.”