Former deputy head of Northampton school banned from teaching for life after indecent images conviction

A former deputy head of a Northampton school has been banned from teaching for life after he was convicted of having indecent images.

Daniel Sim, who was part of the senior leadership team at Kingsthorpe College until he was sacked in May 2019, was subject to a professional conduct panel meeting in December 2023, held on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education.

The report from the meeting has now been published by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) and confirms that Sim has been given an “indefinite” ban from teaching.

Sim was arrested in 2019 when police confiscated his laptop and mobile phone. Forensic examination uncovered hundreds of images of child abuse on both devices.

The now 42-year-old pleaded guilty to ten charges in total including making indecent images, distribution of indecent images and possession of extreme pornography. In 2021 he was sentenced to a two-year community order and subject to a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Following the completion of the criminal case, the TRA panel considered a number of factors to determine whether it was “appropriate and proportionate” to implement a prohibition order.

The report says: “The panel noted that Mr Sim’s actions did not appear to involve a pupil or a colleague at the college. However, the panel considered that his actions were relevant to teaching, working with children and/or working in an education setting, in particular because he was found to be communicating with a 16-year-old girl and threatened to post a sexual image of her online.

“The panel noted that the behaviour involved in committing the offence could have had an impact on the safety or security of pupils and/or members of the public.

“The panel considered that Mr Sim’s behaviour in committing these offences could undoubtedly affect public confidence in the teaching profession.

“His conduct ran counter to what should have been at the very core of his practice as a teacher with a duty of care towards children.

“His actions raised obvious and significant public and child protection concerns.

“Similarly, the panel considered that public confidence in the profession could be seriously weakened if conduct such as that found against Mr Sim were not treated with the utmost seriousness when regulating the conduct of the profession.”

The panel also took into account three references speaking highly of the teacher and his “remorse and his desire to change”. The report also adds that a statement from Sim said he had worked “tirelessly to address his failings and improve himself in an attempt to make amends”, which has included partaking in course to overcome sex or porn addiction.

It was also detailed that Sim also “fully accepted, in his statement, that his career teaching or working with children was over”.

The report concluded: “The panel decided that the public interest considerations outweighed the interests of Mr Sim. The nature and seriousness of the offences combined with lack of current evidence of rehabilitation and risk were significant factors in forming that opinion.

“Accordingly, the panel made a recommendation to the Secretary of State that a prohibition order should be imposed with immediate effect.”

Panel members also decided that implementing a review period on the ban would not be appropriate.

Sim has 28 days to appeal the decision.

Read the full report here.