Ashley Kalnins

Introduction

Ashley Kalnins is a former Warwickshire primary school teacher who was banned from the teaching profession after a disciplinary panel found he had sent sexually motivated messages to junior female colleagues. In February 2026, a professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) found that, while teaching at St Francis Catholic Primary School, he sent inappropriate sexual messages to two junior female colleagues over a sustained period and told one of them to delete the messages he had sent. The panel found the conduct was sexually motivated and amounted to unacceptable professional conduct, and Mr Kalnins was made subject to a prohibition order with no provision for a review period.

Background Information

Mr Kalnins, listed in the decision under teacher reference number 1086081, worked at St Francis Catholic Primary School in Warwickshire — referred to in the decision as School A — from around September 2016 to December 2018. He subsequently served as Deputy Headteacher at Our Lady & St. Teresa’s Catholic Primary School (School B) between around January 2019 and September 2020. The panel observed that he held a senior position over the women concerned, describing them as junior female employees “in potentially vulnerable positions due to their status”.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Adjudicated vs. alleged. The findings below are regulatory findings made on the balance of probabilities by a professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA). Mr Kalnins admitted some factual aspects of the message allegations concerning Individual A and Individual B, including the instructions to delete messages, but denied that his conduct was sexually motivated or that it showed a lack of integrity or dishonesty, and made no admission that it amounted to unacceptable professional conduct; the separate allegation concerning Individual D was not proved. They are findings of professional misconduct — no criminal charge is mentioned in the published decision.

The panel sat by virtual hearing from 2 to 10 February 2026; Mr Kalnins was not present, and the hearing proceeded as fully contested because he made no admission of unacceptable professional conduct.

He was alleged to have sent Individual A inappropriate messages set out in Schedule 1 and, on or around 20 August 2018, to have told her to delete the messages he had sent her. In relation to Individual B, it was alleged that he sent inappropriate messages, told her to delete messages, made inappropriate comments including inviting her to send him nude pictures of herself, commented on her clothing, asked her to give him a massage or words to that effect, and made comments about sharing a shower with her. An allegation that he sent inappropriate messages to Individual D while Deputy Headteacher at School B was not proven.

The panel reviewed screenshots of the messages sent to Individual A between August and December 2018. These included a message of 20 August 2018 reading “Trousers already undone so they come down easily lol xx”, one of 14 September 2018 asking “Do the toilets have the full covers? Xx” and “Can we be a little naughty in school too? Xx”, and the line “Wear something kinda loose fitting so I can get my handdown!”. Individual A told the panel that Mr Kalnins added her on Facebook and that the messages soon became sexualised; he would, she said, ask her to “get dirty”. She tried to keep her replies friendly and polite, ignored many messages hoping he would get the hint that she was not interested, and found that when she did he kept on messaging.

Finding the facts proved, the panel concluded that Mr Kalnins had engaged in a pattern of sexually motivated behaviour in sending unsolicited and seriously inappropriate messages over a sustained period to junior female colleagues. It found he “had, over a prolonged period, engaged in extremely serious sexually motivated misconduct” towards junior female employees “in potentially vulnerable positions due to their status”, and that his senior position “had allowed him to be in a position to exploit their fears”.

Public Reaction and Consequences

The panel identified strong public interest considerations in declaring and upholding proper standards of conduct, noting that public confidence in the profession could be seriously weakened if conduct of this kind were not treated with the utmost seriousness. It observed that the messages had been sent “both during and outside school time”, and took account of Individual A’s and Individual B’s evidence as to the serious impact which these unwelcome behaviours had had upon them — conduct it considered to be extremely serious misconduct, demonstrating “a pattern of behaviour towards women which was wholly unacceptable”. Although there was evidence that Mr Kalnins had abilities as an educator, the panel concluded that the public interest outweighed any interest in retaining him in the profession, and it recommended a prohibition order with no provision for review.

Current Status

The determination was made on 10 February 2026, and the outcome was published on GOV.UK on 3 March 2026 as “Teacher misconduct panel outcome: Mr Ashley Kalnins”. Mr Kalnins is subject to a prohibition order with no provision for a review period, meaning he is barred from teaching indefinitely. In reaching its recommendation, the panel stressed that prohibition orders are not given to be punitive, but exist to protect pupils and maintain public confidence in the profession, and concluded that these aims required the order in his case. The decision also records that the allegation concerning Individual D was found not proven, with the Secretary of State stating, “I have therefore put those matters entirely from my mind”.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The prohibition order ends Mr Kalnins’ teaching career in England. Having progressed from classroom teacher to Deputy Headteacher in around three years, he is now barred from the profession indefinitely, with no provision to seek a review of the order. The panel acknowledged “there was evidence that Mr Kalnins had abilities as an educator”, but found this was outweighed by the fundamental breach of the standards expected of a teacher. Because the decision is published, the findings also remain a permanent public record attached to his name.

Sources

• Teaching Regulation Agency, “Teacher misconduct panel outcome: Mr Ashley Kalnins,” published 3 March 2026 — source