Joe Burston

Introduction

Joe Burston (born 10 December 1988) was subject leader for drama at Cheam High School in Sutton from 1 September 2018 until his resignation in July 2020. In July 2022 a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) professional conduct panel found that during the first Covid-19 lockdown he had exchanged around 2,637 messages with a 16-year-old pupil and that elements of his conduct were sexually motivated. On 22 July 2022, on the panel’s recommendation, Sarah Buxcey, deciding for the Secretary of State, prohibited him from teaching indefinitely.

Background Information

Burston took up his post in September 2018. A year earlier, in June 2019, he had shown a Year 13 class a historic, obscured image of himself running partially clothed across the grounds of the school he had attended as a pupil — conduct he later admitted as an attempt at humour. When the pandemic moved teaching online in March 2020, he communicated with current pupils through Google Classroom and the Show My Homework (SMHW) platform, and with former pupils through Instagram. Many messages were sent late at night or early in the morning, and most did not relate to school work.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Between 19 March and 8 July 2020 Burston exchanged around 2,637 messages with a pupil known as Pupil A — approximately 1,348 through Google Classroom and 1,289 through SMHW. Pupil A was 16, was not a drama student, and was neither taught by him nor under his pastoral care. By 23 May 2020 he had removed his departmental line manager’s access to the Google Classroom he used to communicate with her, telling her: “Only I can read the comments on this group just FYI”. He repeatedly commented on her appearance and clothes, asked whether she had been tanning, and messaged her about showering. He also sent her a birthday message saying that when they were out and about they would have to celebrate properly.

Meeting up featured repeatedly. On 9 June 2020 he wrote: “you never know. I might walk through the Worchester P [Park] one day and you might happen to be there”. Pupil A replied “sounds like a motive”, to which he answered, “I can’t possibly comment”. That day he discussed sharing a kebab during lockdown. On 30 June 2020 he met her socially after messaging that he was about to visit a local shop; she later said it had been nice seeing him. On 3 July 2020 he asked her where Pupil C, another pupil, lived. He also sent personal messages to Pupil B, including hot-flame emojis and slang, and complimented Pupil C, a Year 10 student, on her hair.

His contact with former pupils, largely through Instagram, was more overt. He sent ex-Pupil D screenshots of her own Instagram images with remarks about her tan and the attention she attracted, gave her his personal contact details so they could meet when she collected her A Level certificates, replied to her posts with heart-eyed emojis, and sent an audio recording of song lyrics including “every time you get undressed I hear symphonies in my head”. He asked ex-Pupil E to record herself saying “you stupid bitch” as a sound effect, and sent her heart-eyed and hot-flame emojis. When ex-Pupil F sent a picture of his shaved head, Burston replied: “time for a Grindr update”.

A school investigation concluded on 14 July 2020 that his communications should proceed to a formal disciplinary hearing; Burston resigned the next day, and the hearing never took place. The matter was reported to the local authority designated officer and to the police, who found insufficient grounds for a criminal investigation. The case was referred to the TRA on 24 August 2020.

Public Reaction and Consequences

The panel sat virtually, in public, from 11 to 14 July 2022. Burston was absent and unrepresented, having confirmed he would not attend and preferred the hearing to proceed without him. In a statement of agreed and disputed facts signed on 1 July 2022 he admitted nearly all the allegations, accepting that his messages crossed professional boundaries. He denied allegations 1(b), 15 and 16, and neither admitted nor denied allegation 2(c) — his remark about being the only reader of the group’s comments — which the panel nonetheless found proved.

The panel found every allegation proved except 1(b): the claim that he had identified pupils he had slept with was not proven as framed, because the image concerned was a different one and those he referred to were university friends and acquaintances, not pupils. Allegation 15 was proved — his behaviour demonstrated elements of building inappropriate relationships with Pupils A, B, C and D. On allegation 16 the panel identified as sexually motivated the conduct in allegations 5, 7, 11 and 12 — the “thirsty” screenshot sent to ex-Pupil D, the song-lyric recording, the sound-effect request and the heart-eyed emojis — and, finding no plausible explanation, concluded it was more likely than not that his wider messaging of Pupils A, B and C was also sexually motivated. His conduct amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, and the panel recommended a prohibition order with a four-year review period, citing his lack of insight and remorse.

Current Status

In a decision dated 22 July 2022, Sarah Buxcey prohibited Burston from teaching indefinitely, banning him from teaching in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. A four-year review period applies: he may apply for the order to be set aside, but not before 26 July 2026 — and that is not automatic; without a successful application he remains prohibited for life. The panel had judged two years insufficient given his lack of insight and remorse. The order took effect when served, with 28 days to appeal to the High Court.

Impact on Their Career/Life

Burston’s teaching career ended with his July 2020 resignation, offered rather than face the school’s formal disciplinary process. Although the police saw no basis for a criminal investigation, the regulator’s findings — including that parts of his conduct were sexually motivated and that he had deliberately removed a manager’s oversight of his messaging — bar him from teaching in England unless a panel sets the order aside after July 2026. The panel noted no evidence attested to his abilities as an educator, and criticised the vitriol he directed at former colleagues and witnesses in his submissions.

Sources

• Department for Education, “Teacher misconduct panel outcome: Mr Joe Burston” — source