Shane Lycett
Introduction
Shane Lycett was Head of Computing at Dane Court Grammar School in Broadstairs, Kent, where he taught from 2017 until 17 May 2024. In March 2024, sixth form pupils raised concerns that he had been messaging a pupil, Pupil A — commenting on her appearance, referencing drink and drugs, and calling her a ‘TILF’. In May 2025, a professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) found all allegations proved, including that his conduct towards the pupil was sexually motivated, and that he had taken ketamine while addicted to it. Sarah Buxcey, deciding on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, prohibited Lycett from teaching indefinitely, with no review period and no entitlement to apply for restoration.
Background Information
Lycett worked at Dane Court Grammar School from 2017 until 17 May 2024 as a teacher in the role of Head of Computing. His role carried the additional responsibility of supervising Pupil A’s [REDACTED] (a social media/ gaming platform), a required part of the pupil’s course. Concerns were raised at the school on 7 March 2024, and the matter was referred to the TRA on 28 May 2024. The TRA agreed to Lycett’s request that the allegations be considered without a hearing; he signed a statement of agreed facts on 4 December 2024 admitting unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
On 7 March 2024, concerns were raised by two sixth form pupils that Lycett had been watching Pupil A’s [REDACTED] in exchange for money, had said “her hair looked better at school”, and had made comments about his drinking habits. Individual A at the School met with Pupil A that day. She said Lycett had accepted her friend request on Facebook, and had been messaging her on the [REDACTED] platform, saying that he would buy her a ’ticket of cocaine’ and that when she was 18, ’they should go out drinking just the two of them’. Pupil A provided screenshots of the messages; her account was taken on 12 March 2024 by the police and social services. Lycett was interviewed under caution on 18 March 2024, but no further action was taken due to insufficient evidence.
At a disciplinary interview on 28 March 2024, Lycett maintained he was not the author of the messages. In a second meeting the same day, he declared he had been addicted to ketamine for the past two years, taking it on average every other day, which he said clouded his judgement and resulted in a ‘K Hole’ — so he could not remember sending the messages but believed the online content must have been him. Questioned about the evidence, he said ‘all that evidence today, that’s me. It’s got to be’. Pupil A’s account recorded that when she asked ‘is that you Shane?’, he responded ‘Yes but shh, no-one is meant to know…’.
The screenshots showed a consistently inappropriate tone. Lycett told Pupil A “your hair looks better down”, said ‘I’m going to Dreamland to do pills with [REDACTED] this weekend.’, wrote ‘Stoned all the time’, called her ‘You fucking TILF’ — which the panel noted stands for a ‘Teenager I’d Like to Fuck’ — and wrote “I’ll send the drugs…all apart from cress(a)ck and hero(one)…I get my best shit from ex-student”. Pupil A’s witness account recorded that on her birthday he said he would buy her a ticket of cocaine — she declined — and that when she was 18 they should go out drinking, ‘Just us two.’
The panel found all three allegations proved. Applying the principle that “In the absence of a plausible innocent explanation for what he did, the facts spoke for themselves.”, it found the conduct was sexually motivated and rejected Lycett’s ‘K hole’ excuse as a plausible justification. It also found proved that he took ketamine, a class B drug, on one or more occasions between 2022 and 2024, having admitted a ‘crippling addiction to ketamine’ over the previous two years and taking it most days.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The panel found the conduct amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, in breach of the Teachers’ Standards and statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education. It identified behaviours associated with sexual communication with a child and drug possession and supply offences, and considered the messages Lycett sent to be disturbing, noting in particular that he normalised swearing and taking drugs and used sexualised language towards a pupil. Public confidence in the profession, it said, “could be seriously weakened if conduct such as that found against Mr Lycett were not treated with the utmost seriousness when regulating the conduct of the profession”. Noting a lack of insight and remorse, the panel recommended a prohibition order with immediate effect and no review period. Sarah Buxcey, deciding on behalf of the Secretary of State, agreed in a decision dated 1 June 2025.
Current Status
Lycett is prohibited from teaching indefinitely. The decision states: “This means that Mr Shane Lycett is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.” Because of the seriousness of the allegations found proved against him, the decision maker decided that “I have decided that Mr Lycett shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.” The prohibition is permanent: with no review period and no route to restoration, the bar can never be lifted. The order takes effect from the date it is served on him, and he has a right of appeal to the High Court within 28 days of being given notice of it.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The prohibition order ends Lycett’s teaching career in England outright. The panel “noted the lack of insight and remorse on the part of Mr Lycett, other than his acknowledgment of his addiction problems within the interview conducted by the School”, and saw sufficient evidence to suggest a risk of future repetition of the behaviour, particularly given the link between his behaviour and his addiction problems. With no review period and no right to apply for restoration, there is no path back to the classroom.
Sources
- Department for Education, “Teacher misconduct panel outcome: Mr Shane Lycett” — source