Mr William Ottaway

Introduction

Mr William Ottaway is a former cover science teacher who has been banned from teaching in England for life. Between October 2014 and July 2015 he worked as a cover science teacher at Bourne End Academy, where Pupil A was a pupil. In a signed statement of agreed facts he admitted making social media contact with her from 2015, exchanging messages of a sexual nature with her between October 2018 and January 2019, possessing an indecent image of her and sending her an indecent image of himself on 20 December 2018. The Teaching Regulation Agency panel found every allegation proved. On 21 February 2024 the decision maker, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, prohibited him from teaching indefinitely, with no review period and no entitlement to apply for restoration.

Background Information

The allegations were framed in the notice of meeting as conduct occurring whilst Ottaway was a teacher at Southam College and/or Rugby Free Secondary School; the decision itself records his role as cover science teacher at Bourne End Academy between October 2014 and July 2015, with Pupil A a pupil at that academy. The panel convened on 19 February 2024. In advance, and after considering the public interest and the interests of justice, the TRA had agreed to his request that the allegations be considered without a hearing; the meeting took place in private and was not recorded. The matter came to light on 26 February 2019, when Pupil A made a disclosure that led to police involvement and Ottaway’s arrest the following day. On 28 February 2019, Thames Valley Police referred the case to the TRA.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Admitted misconduct. Mr Ottaway admitted the allegations in a signed statement of agreed facts, signed on 8 January 2024, and a Teaching Regulation Agency panel considered the case at a meeting without a hearing. The panel found all six allegations proved, amounting to unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute.

The first contact came fifteen days after Ottaway stopped working at the academy on 5 August 2015. Using Facebook Messenger, he wrote: “Hey [Pupil A], I hope you don’t mind me messaging you? Just wondering how your Summer is going? Have you been up to much since school?” The two then communicated across various social media platforms up to 2019. Ottaway admitted he knew Pupil A’s age at the time of that first contact, and the panel found he had exploited his position as a teacher to take advantage of a pupil for his own sexual gratification.

Between October 2018 and January 2019 the messaging turned sexual. As it progressed, topics included going on a date to the theatre, whether they would share a hotel room, what Pupil A was wearing, kissing, sexual touching, different types of sexual intercourse, “sexting”, the type of contraception Pupil A used, and sexual fantasies. The panel had before it a number of messages covering these topics. On or around 20 December 2018 the two exchanged one or more indecent images of themselves: the statement of agreed facts records that Ottaway received a topless picture of Pupil A and sent Pupil A an image containing his penis. The police were able to locate both images during their investigation.

The panel found the communications had no basis in any ongoing educational need for Pupil A, breaching the Teachers’ Standards and the academy’s policies prohibiting personal engagement with a pupil, and that the conduct was sexually motivated — carried out in pursuit of sexual gratification or a future sexual relationship. Although the conduct took place outside the education setting, the panel found it affected how Ottaway fulfilled his teaching role and exposed a pupil to harmful influence, and that he had breached a position of trust. It found the behaviours associated with two listed offences relevant: sexual communication with a child, and activity involving possessing an indecent image of a child. Ottaway himself admitted his actions constituted unacceptable professional conduct and would bring the profession into disrepute.

Public Reaction and Consequences

The panel recommended a prohibition order with immediate effect, weighing the safeguarding and wellbeing of pupils, public confidence in the profession and the declaration of proper standards against Ottaway’s interests. It noted he had no previous regulatory findings and had engaged with the regulatory process, and it received a positive character reference — although its author could not speak to his teaching abilities and did not know the purpose for which it was called for. While he apologised and expressed remorse about what happened to Pupil A, the panel considered these aspects “appeared limited”, with much of the focus on the impact the events had had on him, his career and his family. Finding his misconduct to be at the more serious end of the spectrum and his insight limited, the panel concluded there was an ongoing risk to children and a risk of repetition, and recommended no review period.

Current Status

By the decision of 21 February 2024, Mr Ottaway 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, he is not entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach. The order takes effect from the date on which it is served on him. He has a right of appeal to the King’s Bench Division of the High Court within 28 days of being given notice of the order. The published decision stands as the permanent public record of the findings against him.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The prohibition order ends any teaching career Ottaway might have had. The findings describe a teacher who opened a personal social media channel with a pupil days after leaving the school, kept it alive for years, exchanged sexually explicit messages and indecent images with her, and admitted all of it in a signed statement. The panel’s judgment that he exploited his position as a teacher for his own sexual gratification, together with its conclusion that his insight remained limited and the risk of repetition present, means the record follows him permanently: he cannot teach in England, and there is no route by which he may ever apply to return.

Sources

• Teaching Regulation Agency, “Teacher misconduct panel outcome: Mr William Ottaway” — source