Teacher Prohibited from Teaching After Secret Filming and Inappropriate Behaviour
A religious studies teacher has been banned from the profession indefinitely following a series of disturbing incidents involving students, including secret filming and the provision of unwanted gifts.
Inappropriate Communications and Unwanted Gifts
Peter Ledwidge, who taught at the Anglo European School in Essex, was found to have sent numerous inappropriate emails to a student between October 2019 and May 2021. In these communications, he referred to the pupil as "special" and his "favourite," with one message stating: "Like the moon: her splendour when visible, her attraction when invisible." Another email explicitly requested: "...please don't say anything about this to ANYONE."
The teacher also wrote notes to the same student, including one that paraphrased Elton John lyrics: "I hope you didn't mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is while you're in class." Another note revealed: "If you'd chosen Spanish over R.S., I'd have quickly trained to become a Spanish teacher."
Ledwidge gave several unwanted gifts to students, including a flat cap, an engraved mirror, a record, and a George Harrison drawing. Most disturbingly, one student received a pair of stockings wrapped in customised paper featuring her own face. In a witness statement to police, the student said these items made her feel "sick with disgust."
Secret Filming and Physical Contact
The professional conduct panel heard that Ledwidge had secretly photographed and filmed students without their knowledge or consent. When questioned by police about one such video, he claimed he had filmed a student "instinctively" as "a memento, a memory." He later explained this behaviour by stating he was creating a character based on the student for a book he was writing, adding that "you don't get photos at the end."
Further investigation revealed that Ledwidge had conducted internet searches to locate a student's home address. The panel also heard about an incident where the teacher demonstrated a karate kick and kicked a student on her bottom. Ledwidge defended this action as a "Marx Brothers gag" rather than something for sexual gratification.
Academic Misconduct and Police Investigation
In addition to the inappropriate personal conduct, Ledwidge supplied mock exam questions to a student in advance of an actual examination, constituting serious academic misconduct.
The school's IT team discovered the inappropriate emails during a search of Ledwidge's computer in May 2021, after a student disclosed his conduct to school authorities. He was immediately suspended and referred to Essex Police. Two months later, he was arrested on suspicion of two counts of harassment relating to allegations made by two students.
Although the Crown Prosecution Service did not pursue further legal action against Ledwidge, the Teaching Regulation Agency panel found his behaviour to be sexually motivated and/or of a sexual nature. The panel noted that police had characterised his behaviour as "obsessive" regarding one particular student, which Ledwidge himself accepted during police interviews.
Indefinite Prohibition from Teaching
Due to the seriousness and pattern of misconduct, the panel determined that Ledwidge should be prohibited from teaching indefinitely. The prohibition order is particularly severe as he is not entitled to apply for it to be set aside at any future date, meaning the ban is permanent.
The panel also heard that between January and May 2021, Ledwidge had sent videos from his personal email to his work email depicting scenes of violence and of a sexual nature, further demonstrating inappropriate behaviour.
This case highlights serious breaches of professional boundaries and safeguarding protocols within educational settings, resulting in one of the strongest sanctions available to teaching regulators.
