A teacher who was jailed for having sexual relationships with two teenage pupils and who fell pregnant with one of their children now faces being permanently barred from the profession.
Unacceptable Conduct and Abuse of Trust
Rebecca Joynes, 31, did not attend a remote professional conduct hearing where a panel concluded her actions amounted to 'unacceptable conduct' that brought teaching into disrepute. The panel heard she was responsible for causing 'enormous damage' to the two boys.
Joynes was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison in July at Manchester Crown Court after being found guilty of six counts of sexual activity with a child. Two of those counts were for sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust.
The offences involved two boys she met while working as a teacher at a Greater Manchester school, which cannot be identified for legal reasons.
Grooming and a Trail of Deception
The hearing, led by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA), detailed the systematic grooming and abuse of trust. Shirley Duckworth, representing the TRA, outlined how Joynes groomed the first boy, referred to as Pupil A.
She took the 15-year-old to the Trafford Centre and bought him a £345 Gucci belt from Selfridges before taking him back to her Salford apartment where they had sex.
Her offending against the second victim, Pupil B, began when he was also 15. The relationship became sexual and Joynes fell pregnant, later giving birth to his child. She had told the boy it was 'almost impossible' for her to conceive due to a health issue.
Ms Duckworth told the panel the 'most serious' aspect was that the relationship with Pupil B occurred while Joynes was on bail for the crimes against Pupil A. She noted that Joynes could not deny the relationship with Pupil B due to the 'existence of a child', which was a significant aggravating feature.
Lasting Impact on Victims and Profession
The panel heard a powerful victim impact statement from Pupil B, who said: "I will forever be Rebecca's victim and will be forever be linked to her through our child." He described being "coerced, controlled and sexually abused" and said the ordeal had torn his family apart.
Ms Duckworth argued that the purchase of the Gucci belt was a 'manipulative form of flattery' and dismissed any notion of a 'Mrs Robinson figure', stating it was right to identify Joynes as a paedophile.
Phil Thompson, the panel chairman, stated the behaviour was 'fundamentally incompatible' with teaching. The TRA recommended the panel write to the Secretary of State for Education to recommend a permanent prohibition order, which would ban Joynes from teaching indefinitely.
Joynes, who is still serving her prison sentence, refused to engage with the hearing and had no representation. She was dismissed for gross misconduct in July 2022 after her initial court appearance. She will be on the Sex Offender Register for life.
