Matthew Hindle

Introduction

Matthew Hindle, 36, is a former music teacher at Tottington High School in Bury who has been permanently banned from the classroom after a professional misconduct panel found he engaged in sexual activity with a pupil. Hindle, who taught at the Bury school between 2016 and 2019, was struck off following a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) hearing that concluded in September 2025, with the disciplinary report published on October 23, 2025. The panel found it “more likely than not” that he had a sexual relationship with a pupil between 2018 and 2019 — findings he denies, having admitted only that messaging made the relationship “closer than it should have been”.

Background Information

Hindle taught music at Tottington High School from 2016 until April 2019, when he left to take a post at Oulder Hill Leadership Academy in Rochdale. The pupil, referred to as Pupil A, was at the Bury school during the period of the alleged relationship. Concerns were first formally raised in July 2020, after a complaint to the Rochdale school triggered a full investigation. Hindle resigned in July 2022, and the case was referred to the TRA.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Allegations vs. findings. The claims in this section were found proven by a TRA panel on the civil balance-of-probabilities standard. They were never admitted by Hindle, who denied the sexual allegations, claimed his social media account had been hacked, and denied that any sexual contact took place. No criminal proceedings or convictions were reported despite the panel’s conclusions.

The disciplinary report outlined a sustained pattern of boundary breaches beginning with giving the pupil lifts home and sharing his personal phone number. Although Hindle claimed to have obtained parental and school permission for the early interactions, the panel emphasised that “permission does not necessarily make an act appropriate”, and deemed his actions a failure to uphold professional boundaries from the outset. Hindle admitted to messaging the pupil and acknowledged their relationship became “closer than it should have been,” but denied the more serious allegations — kissing, requesting indecent images, video calls of a sexual nature, and intercourse. The panel found all allegations proven on the balance of probabilities.

Evidence from Pupil A remained consistent throughout the proceedings and included detailed descriptions of Hindle’s home, messages of a flirtatious nature, and late-night communications via Facebook and Snapchat. The report noted messages suggesting time had been spent in Hindle’s car, with one message from the pupil stating: “I can still smell you, your car smells so strong.” Hindle claimed his social media account had been hacked and denied any sexual contact took place, but the panel found his explanations “implausible and lacking in credibility”. The report concluded his behaviour constituted unacceptable professional conduct, seriously breached the trust placed in teachers and risked bringing the profession into disrepute, noting he showed “no insight or remorse” and that there was a risk of repetition.

Public Reaction and Consequences

The Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, confirmed the prohibition order, which carries no right to review. In her statement, Phillipson said: “The findings of misconduct are particularly serious as they include a finding of engaging in sexual activity with a child. I have decided that Mr Hindle shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.”

A spokesperson for Tottington High School responded to the findings: “We are aware of this historic case concerning the individual actions of Matthew Hindle and the outcome of the Teaching Regulation Agency panel, primarily concerning serious incidents after Mr Hindle left Tottington.” The school added: “All investigations found there was no sexual relationship during the pupil’s time at our school. We have continued to proactively engage with all organisations and agencies throughout.” Despite the panel’s conclusions, no evidence of criminal proceedings or convictions has been reported.

Current Status

Hindle, 36, is permanently prohibited from teaching, with no right to apply for restoration of his eligibility. The ban followed the TRA panel’s September 2025 conclusion and the October 23, 2025 publication of its report. The panel’s findings rest on the civil standard applied in regulatory proceedings; no criminal charge or conviction arising from the same allegations was reported.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The prohibition order permanently ended Hindle’s teaching career in England, removing the eligibility he would otherwise have had to apply for restoration after a standard review period. The case closed a five-year arc from the July 2020 complaint through his 2022 resignation to the 2025 ban, and its severity turned on the panel’s rejection of his hacked-account and hacking-adjacent explanations as “implausible and lacking in credibility” against Pupil A’s consistent evidence. His denial and the school’s statement that no sexual relationship occurred during the pupil’s time at Tottington remain part of the record, alongside the panel’s finding that the sexual activity findings were made on the balance of probabilities rather than any criminal standard.