Philip McDermott

Introduction

Philip McDermott was a teacher at School A, where he taught Key Stages 3 to 5 and served as Head of Year for two Year 11 cohorts. In April 2026 a professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) found that between 28 March 2013 and 27 August 2017 he acted in an inappropriate and sexual manner toward a pupil — Former Pupil A in the published decision — who was at the school from September 2011, aged 11, to July 2018, aged 17, and under 18 throughout. The panel found the conduct sexually motivated, amounting to unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. On behalf of the Secretary of State, decision maker Stuart Blomfield banned McDermott from teaching indefinitely, with no review period.

Background Information

The decision redacts the subject McDermott taught and his start date at School A; Former Pupil A was his pupil in Year 9 and in his Year 10 (2014–2015) and Year 11 (2015–2016) classes.

In February 2020 Former Pupil A reported to police an inappropriate and sexual relationship she said had occurred while she was a pupil, on and off school premises. School A suspended McDermott that month and dismissed him in July 2020; police referred the matter to the TRA on 9 February 2020. Charged with criminal offences, he stood trial at the Crown Court in 2022 and was acquitted on all charges. The panel noted the acquittal but was “not bound by that decision” and formed its own independent view of the evidence. McDermott attended the virtual hearing of 27 to 30 April 2026, represented by a NASUWT official, and gave oral evidence alongside Former Pupil A.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Adjudicated vs. alleged. The findings below are regulatory, made on the balance of probabilities by a TRA panel at a virtual hearing. They are findings of professional misconduct — not criminal findings: McDermott was acquitted of all charges at his 2022 Crown Court trial — the panel reached its own conclusions regardless. He admitted exchanging personal contact details, emails and text messages with Former Pupil A and meeting her outside school, but denied the conduct was sexual and denied the remaining allegations. One particular — putting his penis in Former Pupil A’s mouth — was found not proved after the presenting officer offered no evidence.

The panel found the following proved, in full, on the balance of probabilities:

Between 28 March 2013 and 27 August 2017, he exchanged personal email addresses and phone numbers with Former Pupil A and exchanged emails and text messages of a personal nature, some late at night ; she deleted the messages in 2017, fearing discovery. He met her outside school at least twice — a July 2016 pub lunch with a park walk afterwards, and an August 2016 concert — both in the school holidays and never notified to the Designated Safeguarding Officer. The Head of School said staff “never give out their mobile phone numbers to students.”
In his classroom, after closing the blinds and door, he touched her on and near her vagina and breasts and kissed her.
In or around June and July 2016, in a secluded area of the park after the pub lunch, he cupped her breasts from behind and touched her vagina with his tongue, and encouraged her to touch his penis — encouragement only, the panel found; she refused.
At the concert, on or around 4 August 2016, he put his hand up her skirt or dress and tried to move her hand onto his penis over his clothing; she pulled away at once.
In or around October 2016 he bought a vibrator and gave it to her in a bag in the classroom; he admitted buying it, insisting it was for personal use.

Corroborating material included a Pinterest meme on his device reading “Standing behind you breasts cupped in my hands…”, texts referring to sex toys, and the agreed fact that he changed two device passwords to Former Pupil A’s name. She was the only student he had taken to lunch alone or exchanged personal addresses with; the panel found he had “singled-out” her, and that all the proved conduct was sexually motivated, in pursuit of a sexual relationship.

Public Reaction and Consequences

The panel found McDermott in breach of the Teachers’ Standards on treating pupils with dignity, observing proper boundaries and safeguarding pupils’ well-being, and held that the conduct breached Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children, displaying behaviours associated with the offences of sexual activity and sexual communication with a child. He had shown “a complete disregard for professional boundaries, safeguarding and his trusted role as a teacher”, had “seriously abused his position and had committed a grave breach of trust”, and caused “severe and long-lasting impact on Former Pupil A’s health and well-being.”

The panel accepted he was a good and well-regarded teacher with no previous disciplinary proceedings, and had shown some insight and remorse — limited to the particulars he admitted. Concluding that publication of findings alone would “unacceptably compromise the public interest”, it recommended prohibition with immediate effect and no review period: in the absence of insight or remorse into the most serious aspects of his conduct, he “poses a potential ongoing risk to pupils, should he continue to teach.” Stuart Blomfield, deciding for the Secretary of State, agreed the lack of full insight meant “some risk of the repetition of this behaviour.”

Current Status

The panel’s determination is dated 30 April 2026; the Secretary of State’s decision, made by Stuart Blomfield, is dated 5 May 2026. McDermott is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. As the order carries no review period, he “shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.” It takes effect when served, with a right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days of notice. The outcome was published on gov.uk on 13 July 2026.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The ban cemented the career end School A’s July 2020 dismissal had begun: the prohibition applies for life, with no route to apply for restoration. Acquitted at his 2022 trial, he carries no conviction; the published decision, with its findings of a sexually motivated relationship with a pupil, stands as the public regulatory record against his name.

Sources

Teaching Regulation Agency, “Teacher misconduct panel outcome: Mr Philip McDermott,” published 13 July 2026 — source