A female primary teacher who sent sexual Instagram messages to an 11-year-old boy has been banned from teaching

11 is certainly a bit young



Kay Elizabeth Hollingsworth, 31, taught at Notley Green Primary School, Essex, and sent one of her pupils a series of sexual messages on Instagram and Snapchat.

In one message on Instagram, she wrote: 'About to have a shower #mental image for you lol.'

She sent him another message explaining she had recently split with a partner and was 'single and ready to mingle', and called him 'dimples' when saying goodnight one evening.

She also had exchanges with the boy on picture messaging social network Snapchat, and offered to delete their 'convo' one night in case anyone saw it.

When the boy's parents found out, she asked them not to tell the school but they refused.

Miss Hollingsworth, who was a 'phase leader' and after school teacher, was finally dismissed from the school in May last year for gross misconduct.

She admitted to a teachers disciplinary panel which dealt with her case in Coventry that she was guilty and was banned from teaching on behalf of Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan.

However, the panel accepted that she was remorseful and said she could apply to have the ban lifted after just two years.

The National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) panel ruled that it was both 'proportionate and appropriate' to ban her and that her conduct could bring the teaching profession into disrepute.

They say: 'By sending messages to an 11 year old pupil, including some messages containing sexual innuendo which could have been confusing to the pupil, Miss Hollingsworth failed in her position of responsibility to that pupil and her obligation to safeguard pupils' well-being.'

Imposing the ban on behalf of the Education Secretary, Alan Meyrick, Deputy Director of the NCTL said the conduct of Miss Hollingsworth 'was a serious departure from the personal and professional conduct elements of Teachers Standards.'

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