A 48-year-old PE teacher has been struck off after he called a female student “Premier League” and kept photos of her on his phone. Stuart Smith was banned from teaching indefinitely when a disciplinary panel found he had been “overfamiliar” and developed an “emotional personal relationship” with the pupil.

The teacher had also held the role of head of house at Mayville High School in Portsmouth, Hampshire. He was arrested by the police on suspicion of sexual assault and suspended from the school in October 2023. In December 2023, the police investigation was closed without further action. Smith resigned from the school in the same month.

Mayville High School costs around £18,000 a year for senior students in year seven to year 11.

The hearing heard that Smith had developed an “increasingly close” relationship with a pupil after a school trip.

He had engaged in one-to-one conversations with the girl and had spoken to her over text on WhatsApp.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the misconduct hearing that on the journey home from a school trip, Smith had “rubbed” and touched” her thigh.

She also claimed the teacher had said she could put her legs over him while she was sleeping before he allegedly inappropriately touched her.

Smith “categorically” denied the claim but the disciplinary panel found it proven.

In one of the messages sent by Smith, he told the girl: “So, today I’ve seen a lot of my favourite people and done some fun things but I would have swapped it all for a cup of milo, a game of spoons and just being silly with you.”

In another of the messages, deemed inappropriate, he told the student she was “Premier League and one of my favourite people on the planet”.

Smith acknowledged at his hearing that his messages at times were “too friendly and over familiar”.

A written statement from Smith said he agreed the messages he sent were unprofessional and “blurred the lines between what is acceptable and not”.

It was also found Smith had photographs of the student and had bought her a fabric bracelet.

A panel found that the teacher’s conduct “involved serious and repeated failures to maintain proper professional boundaries with a pupil and a failure to act in accordance with safeguarding expectations, requirements and responsibilities”.

Some allegations made against Smith were found not proven. He has now been prohibited from teaching indefinitely.

He can apply for the prohibition order to be set aside but not until 2029, and he also has a right of appeal at the High Court.