A former deputy head teacher at a Shropshire special needs school has been banned from teaching indefinitely after failing to disclose her personal relationship with a convicted sex offender. Cecilia Rooms, 57, admitted allowing the man to use her work laptop, according to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).
Rooms worked at Overton School near Ludlow as deputy head and designated safeguarding lead from September 2018 to July 2019, when she was suspended and resigned. The TRA panel found that her four-year relationship with the registered sex offender, which she described as a 'personal friendship', amounted to unacceptable professional conduct.
The panel noted that Rooms continued the relationship after his conviction and had ample opportunity to disclose it to the school and her family. It stated that her actions, including inviting him into her home when a child might be present, would 'call into question her commitment to safeguarding'.
While Rooms expressed 'sincere apologies' and showed some remorse, the panel concluded she lacked insight into the potential harm caused. It noted that no direct harm to children was evident, but the risks were high. The school's current owners confirmed that staff acted swiftly upon learning of the relationship, informing authorities and dismissing Rooms.
