Moses Forson

Introduction

Moses Forson was a Teacher of Business at Kew House School from January 2021. Between November 2022 and January 2023 he supplied six professional and character references to teaching agencies for a man he knew as an old acquaintance, falsely presenting the man as a former colleague and himself as the man’s Head of Department. A Teaching Regulation Agency panel found the references were dishonest and likely to bring the profession into disrepute. Forson admitted the facts, and on 23 January 2026 David Oatley, deciding on behalf of the Secretary of State, prohibited him from teaching indefinitely, with a two-year review period before he may ask for the order to be set aside.

Background Information

Moses Forson was born on 6 March 1974 and held teacher reference number 1131391. He joined Kew House School as a Teacher of Business on 1 January 2021, and held that post while the events below unfolded. He was never a Head of Department, a detail that became significant because it featured among the false claims in the references he wrote. The case came to light on 23 January 2023, when Vision Teaching Agency contacted the school to query a verbal reference it had received. A professional conduct panel later convened on 21 January 2026 to consider the case against him.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Admitted dishonesty case: the references were the misconduct. Forson admitted the facts and that his conduct amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and conduct likely to bring the profession into disrepute. The panel found that what he had done was dishonest and lacked integrity. No pupils were directly harmed, but the panel treated the selling of his name as a recruitment-safeguarding breach.

Between November 2022 and January 2023, Forson provided six professional or character references to teaching agencies for a man referred to as Individual A, an old acquaintance. The references claimed that Individual A had worked at Kew House School, which was untrue, and that Forson had been Individual A’s Head of Department, when he was in fact a Teacher of Business. The panel also found that the references were not wholly completed by himself, and that he knew some or all of the information had been supplied by Individual A. The allegation that he acted dishonestly and lacked integrity was proved.

The scheme unravelled through a routine query. On 23 January 2023, Vision Teaching Agency contacted Kew House School to query a verbal reference. Individual A had claimed he had worked at the school from January 2018 to July 2022, with Forson as his Head of Department. In a call with the agency, Forson confirmed the false information rather than correcting it. His conduct stopped only after Vision Teaching raised concerns with the school on 24 January 2023.

When first confronted in January 2023, Forson made no admissions. The following month his position changed: in February 2023 he apologised to the school and took full responsibility for what he had done. That admission of the facts, and of unacceptable professional conduct and disrepute, framed the hearing, but it did not answer the panel’s central question of why an experienced teacher had done this at all.

The panel weighed that references are a safeguarding control in school recruitment, and concluded that the conduct had the potential to cause risk of harm to pupils by facilitating the employment of a person as a teacher who may not be suitable. On the face of it, it found, Mr Forson “put the interests of an old acquaintance ahead of the interests of the schools that might consider hiring that person, and ahead of the interests of their pupils.” He gave no explanation as to why he, an experienced teacher who had undergone safeguarding training, “should act in a way that put pupils and schools at risk.” In representations in May 2023 he said he considered he was helping an old acquaintance. Claims that he had been dealing with personal and health issues were unsupported by any medical evidence, and his undated personal statement, in the panel’s view, “did not adequately address” the question of his insight.

Public Reaction and Consequences

No criminal proceedings appear in the published record; the consequences ran through his employment and the regulatory system. Kew House School was drawn in when Vision Teaching Agency queried the verbal reference in January 2023, and Forson apologised to the school and took full responsibility the following month. The Teaching Regulation Agency convened a professional conduct panel, which met on 21 January 2026 by virtual meeting, with agreed facts. The panel comprised Ms Geraldine Baird, a lay panellist in the chair, Mr Tim Foy, a lay panellist, and Mrs Georgina Bean, a teacher panellist. It found the allegations proved and recommended a prohibition order with a two-year review period, noting that refresher safeguarding training, which all teachers complete annually, would be insufficient to address his particular shortcomings.

Current Status

Moses Forson 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 prohibition order to be set aside, but not until 29 January 2028, two years from the date of the order at the earliest. That is not an automatic right to have the order removed: if he applies, a panel will meet to consider whether it should be set aside, and without a successful application he remains prohibited indefinitely. The decision was made by David Oatley on 23 January 2026 on behalf of the Secretary of State. The outcome was published by the Teaching Regulation Agency on 12 February 2026.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The prohibition closed off Forson’s teaching career in England. He cannot hold a teaching post in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home, and the bar stands until at least January 2028. A return would require him to apply to set aside the order and persuade a fresh panel, which has no obligation to agree. The panel indicated what that would demand: reflecting on and addressing the reasons he acted as he did, remediation focused on those reasons, and safeguarding training specifically related to recruitment, so that he understands the role references play in protecting children.

Sources

• Teaching Regulation Agency, “Teacher misconduct panel outcome: Mr Moses Forson,” published 12 February 2026 — source