Adrian Ferguson

Introduction

Adrian Ferguson was a science teacher at Peak Academy in Dursley who said he had spent more than twenty years teaching children with social, emotional and mental health needs. On 21 October 2019 two of the school’s pupils fought in its basecamp room, and a Teaching Regulation Agency panel later found he both encouraged and allowed the fight and failed to safeguard the pupils as they exchanged punches in front of him. In October 2026 he was prohibited from teaching indefinitely.

Background Information

Ferguson joined Peak Academy as a science teacher in January 2015 and left on 31 December 2019, having handed his notice in before the incident. A police investigation into the events of 21 October 2019 was discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service in or around February 2021, and the matter was referred to the TRA on 6 July 2021. He made no admission, said he had never harmed or endangered any child in his career, and the fully contested allegations were heard by a panel chaired by Mr Peter Ward.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

The Notice of Hearing dated 14 July 2026 alleged that on 21 October 2019 Ferguson encouraged and/or allowed Pupil A and Pupil B to fight and failed to take adequate steps to safeguard them while they fought. The key evidence was silent CCTV footage: it recorded Ferguson entering the basecamp with Pupil A, who appeared agitated and tried, at times successfully, to leave despite Ferguson blocking the exit. A colleague, Witness B, then entered with Pupil B; the pupils began pushing each other, both staff blocked the exit for Pupil B, and the CCTV recorded the pupils fighting, throwing punches and grappling for more than 20 seconds with no intervention from either teacher. When they separated, Ferguson took Pupil A out of the camera’s view; a further fight broke out until he physically removed him.

Pupil A’s police interview of 5 December 2019 described Ferguson smiling and laughing after the fight and trying to fist bump him afterwards to say well done; Pupil B said he thought Ferguson was at the door stopping anyone coming in to intervene, though he got on well with Ferguson and considered him “alright”. The panel accepted this hearsay evidence as credible. Ferguson denied encouraging the pupils, saying he had been told to look after Pupil A and positioned himself at the exit to stop Pupil B running off. But he accepted in his police interviews that he should have intervened sooner, admitted allowing the pupils to fight briefly to intervene more effectively, said the footage left him “disgusted”, and remarked that it “was safer for them to have a go at each other”.

The panel found the “allowed” limb proved, and found encouragement proved too: though the pupils attributed the encouraging words to Witness B and the footage was silent, his admitted decision to allow the fight, the evidence that he was smiling or laughing, and his gesture towards Pupil A immediately before the fight resumed cumulatively amounted to encouragement, proving allegation 1.a. On allegation 1.b it found that, having allowed and encouraged the fight, he failed to protect the pupils from a foreseeable risk of harm; neither was ultimately injured, but that appeared a matter of good fortune rather than evidence of little risk, and chances to intervene, separate them or summon help went unused. Finding breaches of the Teachers’ Standards and of Keeping children safe in education, it concluded the conduct was unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute: ordinary members of the public would be shocked that a teacher standing in loco parentis had allowed and encouraged pupils to fight.

Public Reaction and Consequences

The case was decided at a virtual hearing held in public from 28 September to 2 October 2026, which Ferguson did not attend and at which he was unrepresented. The panel found a strong public interest in protecting pupils, maintaining public confidence and upholding proper standards, since such conduct was outside what could reasonably be tolerated. Mitigation remained: his good character, a single one-off incident, no physical injury to either pupil, the substantial delay in the proceedings, his acceptance that he owed the pupils a duty of care and would have been “livid” had they been his own children, his lesser seniority beside Witness B, and a low risk of repetition. It nevertheless recommended prohibition with immediate effect and a two-year review period.

Current Status

On 6 October 2026 David Oatley, deciding on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, agreed that a prohibition order was proportionate and in the public interest and accepted the two-year review period. Ferguson is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. He may apply for the order to be set aside, but not until 15 October 2028 at the earliest — not an automatic right. The order takes effect when served; he may appeal to the High Court within 28 days.

Impact on Their Career/Life

Ferguson left Peak Academy in December 2019, but the October 2026 order forecloses any return to teaching in England. The panel accepted the long delay appeared to have had a significant impact upon him, and he described feeling “thrown under a bus”. The decision maker gave less weight to his contribution to the profession, judging it necessary to impose the order to maintain public confidence. Unless he successfully applies to set the order aside after 15 October 2028, his removal from the profession is permanent.

Sources

• Department for Education, “Teacher misconduct panel outcome: Mr Adrian Ferguson” — source