Gareth Llewellyn
Introduction
Gareth Llewellyn was a business teacher and form tutor at Sidney Stringer Academy in Coventry. Between September 2021 and May 2023 he asked pupils for personal contact details, exchanged over-familiar emails and WhatsApp messages, commented on their appearance and bodies, hugged one student, and arranged to meet another at the school during half term without telling the school. A professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) heard the case in September 2025 in his absence and found the allegations proved, much of the conduct sexually motivated. On 1 October 2025, Marc Cavey, deciding on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, prohibited Llewellyn from teaching indefinitely, with no entitlement to apply for restoration.
Background Information
Llewellyn joined Sidney Stringer Academy on 1 January 2020. The school suspended him on 9 May 2023 and began an investigation, conducted by Witness C; in its course, further concerns were raised. The school referred him to the TRA on 7 November 2023. The allegations, set out in a Notice of Hearing dated 10 April 2025, concerned Students B, C, D, E and H, with some passages redacted. He was not present or represented, and the panel proceeded on the basis that all the allegations were denied.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Over-familiar messages, a secret half-term meeting and comments on a pupil’s body.
The published decision redacts the detail of Allegation 1 and Allegation 8; the panel found each proved in full. In relation to Student B, the panel found that on or around 5 September 2021 Llewellyn asked for her personal mobile number and email address, writing: “I will call you if you let me know your number or email you on Tuesday when I get a break to give you the information that you will need”. Student B supplied both. Over the following nineteen months they exchanged emails, some from his personal address so the school could not monitor them, including “Glad you went home and loved you be real [sic]” and “You don’t need to be so hard with me. You can expose your feelings and not keep them bottled in. Also get used to a supportive hug from an old man!!! Cheeky!! There will be more”. He viewed her BeReal account, emailing “Hihi [Student B], yes I saw your BeReal too!!”, and in February 2023 arranged to meet her at the school during half term without telling the school.
In relation to Student C, the panel found that between 7 February and 18 July 2022 Llewellyn sent persistent emails asking to speak in person, over the phone or on Google Meet, attempted to call her personal mobile, and told her “we can meet and chat whenever you feel you can”. He logged none of this contact on the school’s CPOMS safeguarding system after January 2022. In or around October 2022, the panel found, he drove [REDACTED], Student H and/or Student D to [REDACTED] in his car during half term and paid for the items they bought, without the school’s permission.
In relation to Student E, the panel found that he exchanged personal mobile numbers with her, messaged her on WhatsApp, hugged her on more than one occasion, emailed her “You are an amazing young lady”, “please don’t forget how very proud I am of you” and “I will always make time for you”, and told her “looking at your body now, it’s a really nice body and your weight is all in the correct areas” and “your boobs are popping out”. When he reached towards her lanyard and she pulled away, he said words to the effect that he would ‘buy her a drink first’. He also failed to record concerns about her on CPOMS. The panel rejected his claim to a “paternal” role — he held no counselling qualification — and concluded that his conduct towards Student B and Student E was sexually motivated, in pursuit of a future sexual relationship with each, the hugging and body comments sexual in nature. It was not satisfied to the requisite standard that the Student C conduct or the trip was sexually motivated.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The decision is a regulatory record and contains no press coverage. The panel found the proved conduct amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, considering that “the public would be gravely concerned to learn that a teacher had conducted himself in the way Mr Llewellyn had”. It found a gross breach of his position of trust; “Some of these students had been vulnerable, which aggravated this breach of trust.” His letter before his disciplinary hearing conceded his actions were unacceptable but denied sexual motivation; the panel found “There was limited insight into his conduct and no remorse for the impact on the students” and “This could not be described as a “one-off”.” It recommended a prohibition order with immediate effect, without a review period.
Current Status
The determination is dated 29 September 2025; Marc Cavey imposed the prohibition order on behalf of the Secretary of State on 1 October 2025. The order states: “This means that Mr Gareth Llewellyn is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.” No review period was set, and in view of the seriousness of the allegations found proved, Cavey decided that Llewellyn “shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach”. There is no route to apply for the prohibition to be lifted. The order takes effect when served, and he has “a right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days from the date he is given notice of this order”.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The prohibition ends Llewellyn’s teaching career in England permanently unless a High Court appeal succeeds. The panel noted he had been well-regarded by colleagues and had satisfactory references, but found neither showed evidence of a particularly valuable contribution to teaching — and that the regard was formed while, unknown to other staff, he was engaging in misconduct spanning two academic years, from September 2021 until his suspension in May 2023. With findings of “inappropriate communications with students, some of which were sexually motivated and multiple breaches of his safeguarding obligations”, he cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.