Alexander Johnson

Introduction

Alexander Johnson was a newly qualified teacher who joined Cove School in Farnborough as an English supply teacher in September 2020. Within weeks, a pupil told him she had a crush on him. Instead of reporting it, he admitted failing to pass the note to the safeguarding lead, accepting her on Snapchat and messaging her on an app he knew deletes its messages. He admitted almost every allegation against him, but a panel found parts of his conduct sexually motivated, and on 23 November 2023 he was banned from teaching for life, with no entitlement to apply for restoration.

Background Information

Johnson started at Cove School as an English supply teacher in September 2020, in his first teaching post after qualifying. All of the proven conduct fell within his first weeks there, between 23 September and 22 October 2020. In October 2020 a teacher raised concerns about his relationship with the pupil, and some pupils and parents came forward; the school suspended him and he never returned. The panel noted there had been no previous concerns about him, but gave that very limited weight given how early in his career the conduct occurred.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

A crush note, Snapchat, a calendar. The panel found he breached professional boundaries with a pupil in pursuance of a potential future sexual relationship.

In October 2020 a pupil passed Johnson a note saying she had a crush on him. He admitted failing to report it to the safeguarding lead and/or destroying it. He admitted accepting her Snapchat friend request after she told him about the crush, and using Snapchat knowing it deletes itself so recovery of messages would be difficult. He admitted sending her voice notes at night telling her to “sleep well”, and keeping an item of her property on most school days knowing she would have to come back to his class after school to collect it. He admitted changing her name on Snapchat to that of his on/off sexual partner, and giving her a playlist note reading “On repeat at the moment – [Pupil A]”. He admitted an allegation that he held Pupil A’s wrist and/or an item of hers and kissed it “like the FA Cup”; the panel found no evidence he had kissed her wrist, and the proved act was kissing the item as one would a sporting trophy.

He also admitted creating a calendar event titled “Drinks with [Pupil A]?” for 1 August 2025. The panel rejected his explanation that he made it hoping the pupil would lose interest, concluding it was an overtly flirtatious act done in pursuance of a future sexual relationship. It also rejected his claim that he renamed her only because she was “clingy”. On that kiss, the panel accepted his account that it was a spontaneous reaction to catching the item, and found it was not sexually motivated.

Johnson denied allegation 9 — that he sprayed an item of Pupil A’s property onto himself or his classroom chair — and the panel found it not proved, accepting his account. On sexual motivation, the panel found allegation 17 proved in part: not the initial friend request, but that thereafter he “did start to act with sexual motivation, in that he did things in pursuance of a potential future sexual relationship”, pointing to the renaming, the calendar entry and the night voice notes. He admitted unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.

Public Reaction and Consequences

In October 2020 a teacher raised concerns about Johnson’s relationship with the pupil, and some pupils and parents came forward to report concerns. The school suspended him and carried out investigations at the police’s request. Police interviewed him under caution and spoke to the pupil, who made no allegation against him; the police took no further action, and he did not return to the school. His TRA hearing was held in public via Microsoft Teams from 20 to 22 November 2023; he was absent and unrepresented, and his application for it to be heard in private was refused. The panel found the proven conduct breached the Teachers’ Standards and amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, and recommended an immediate prohibition order with no review period.

Current Status

The panel’s determination is dated 22 November 2023. On 23 November 2023, Marc Cavey, deciding on behalf of the Secretary of State, prohibited Johnson from teaching indefinitely: he cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. No review period was set, and he is not entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach. The decision maker noted the panel had “found that Mr Johnson had breached professional boundaries with a pupil in pursuance of a potential future sexual relationship with them”, and that the findings included sexually motivated behaviour towards a child. The order takes effect from the date it is served, with a right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days. Johnson had told the panel he has no intention of returning to teaching.

Impact on Their Career/Life

Johnson’s teaching career ended almost as soon as it began: the proven conduct all occurred within his first autumn at Cove School, and he never returned after his suspension. The panel received no evidence of positive good character. It credited him with some insight and remorse, but found his reflections did not address its findings of sexual motivation. The decision maker gave considerable weight to that lack of full insight and the risk of repetition. With no review period and no entitlement to apply for restoration, the ban permanently closes teaching in England to him.

Sources

• Department for Education, “Teacher misconduct panel outcome: Mr Alexander Johnson” — source