Andrew Moore
Introduction
Dr Andrew Moore was a long-serving maths teacher at Sherborne Girls School, an independent day and boarding school for girls aged 11 to 18 in North Dorset, where he had worked for 18 years and become Head of Mathematics in September 2024. In October 2024 the school’s IT system repeatedly flagged attempts, from his personal mobile phone over the school’s Wi-Fi network, to reach pornographic websites — attempts the filter blocked, so the sites were never accessed — including once in the evening while he was on duty in a girls’ boarding house. A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel found every allegation proven in May 2026. Dr Moore is prohibited from teaching indefinitely, and cannot apply to have the order set aside until 8 June 2028 at the earliest.
Background Information
According to the panel decision, Dr Moore commenced employment at Sherborne Girls as a Maths Teacher on 1 January 2006. On 9 October 2024 the school’s IT system flagged multiple attempts to access pornographic websites the previous day; the websites were blocked and not accessed, and the school’s Director of IT reported the flags to the headteacher. Further flags followed after 17 October 2024. Dr Moore was suspended on 31 October 2024, attended disciplinary meetings on 4 and 11 November, and his employment was terminated on 18 November 2024. The school referred him to the TRA on 2 December 2024.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Adjudicated vs. alleged. A professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency found every allegation against Dr Moore proven on the balance of probabilities — a published regulatory finding, not a criminal conviction. He admitted nothing: he denied the allegations, was not present at the hearing and was not represented, and the panel found no credible support for any of the alternative accounts he offered.
On 8 October 2024, Dr Moore repeatedly attempted to access pornographic websites while present on school grounds and connected to the school’s Wi-Fi. The filter blocked every site. The school’s IT system produced a daily report of “unsavoury” websites staff or pupils had attempted to reach; that day it showed attempts to access seven sites under the banned category of “sex”, and because the network was available only in the school building, the attempts must have been made on school grounds, by his personal mobile phone.
Nine days later, on 17 October 2024, the system flagged further attempts between 16:00 and 17:00, and then a further attempt at 19:57 — while, according to the duty rota, Dr Moore was on duty in one of the girls’ boarding houses, in charge of pupils. That day’s report showed attempts to reach four websites, and the panel noted a Fastvue report recording over 100 attempts to access adult sites over a short period — and 44 on 8 October. Every website was blocked and none was ever accessed; the misconduct lay in the repeated attempts themselves, made from a teacher’s device on a girls’ school’s network.
Faced with the flags, Dr Moore initially admitted what he had done: at an informal meeting on 18 October 2024 he made full admissions and was, the panel heard, remorseful and embarrassed. The next day he emailed: “I am sending this email to say how devastated I am for letting myself, you and the school down so badly. I feel incredibly stupid and ashamed in equal measure for what has happened and can only ask for your forgiveness.” At the disciplinary meetings his account changed: a phishing link had opened a stream of adult sites; then malware, the browser cache, or a phone that had unlocked itself and made the attempts. He offered his phone for examination — but it had since been wiped and had additional software installed. Independent experts — an EE account manager and a network engineer at filtering specialist Opendium — confirmed a phone cannot unlock itself and access specific sites. The panel concluded the attempts were intentional, and found allegations 1(a) and 2(a), (b) and (c) proven, amounting to unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The panel weighed substantial mitigation against the findings. Dr Moore had a previously unblemished career — 18 years at the school, no prior regulatory findings, a recent promotion, references describing him very positively, and a senior colleague who spoke highly of him as a teacher and fellow professional. Against that, the panel felt his “remorse was limited, and that he had shown an overall lack of insight in respect of the conduct and its significance”; he had “clearly rowed back from” his admissions “in a way that was deflective”, and his actions were deliberate and made under no duress. There was a strong public interest in safeguarding, especially since one attempt came while he was on duty and in charge of pupils. Because the sites were blocked, no pupils were directly harmed and the panel judged the risk of repetition low, it recommended prohibition with a two-year review period.
Current Status
The panel’s determination is dated 20 May 2026. Decision maker Stuart Blomfield, deciding on behalf of the Secretary of State on 28 May 2026, agreed that prohibition was proportionate and in the public interest. Dr Moore 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 8 June 2028 — two years from the date of the order — and this is not an automatic right: a panel would consider any application. Without a successful application he remains prohibited indefinitely. He has a right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days of being given notice of the order. The decision was published in May 2026.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The prohibition order ends a career spanning nearly two decades at a single school, on top of the dismissal that followed the school’s disciplinary process in November 2024. A former Head of Mathematics at an independent girls’ school, Dr Moore is barred from every teaching role in English schools, sixth form colleges, relevant youth accommodation and children’s homes. The panel accepted he had good ability as an educator, but found his behaviour fundamentally breached the standard of conduct expected of a teacher — and the published decision is a permanent public record.