Geography Teacher Indefinitely Banned for Inappropriate Conduct with Students
A former geography teacher who sent an ex-pupil £500 with messages telling her to 'stay out of Victoria Secret' and spent £1,000 on fast food for vulnerable students has been pictured for the first time following his professional ban. Roger Towersey, 37, who taught at Ditton Park Academy in Slough between 2018 and 2025, has been prohibited from teaching indefinitely after a disciplinary panel ruled his behaviour was 'clearly unprofessional' and breached safeguarding protocols.
Inappropriate Messages and Financial Transfers
The Teaching Regulation Agency panel heard that Towersey first began messaging a former pupil, referred to as Pupil A, on TikTok just before her 18th birthday. Their conversations, which spanned from October 2023 to April 2024, covered topics including shopping, money, and college life. During this period, Towersey sent the former student money on four separate occasions, totalling £500 over two months.
In one message, Towersey wrote: 'Be careful they will wonder where all the ££ came from. They will think your dealing or doing only fans.' Another message stated: 'Don't be getting anything too nice, I don't want to be responsible for either of you pulling and accidentally getting pregnant.' He added: 'Stay out of Victoria Secret aswell. Only joking have a good time while I'm b****y working. Its all I do, eat, sleep, shit and work. Adulting is not fun.'
When the former pupil mentioned participating in various sports, Towersey responded: 'Wow, No wonder you stay in such good shape.' Correspondence revealed that he once responded to her request for £4 by sending £20, and on another occasion, when she asked for money while heading out with family, he replied: 'Blimey [Pupil A]! You spend fast! Okay, but last time for this month.'
Fast Food Expenditure and Unauthorised School Access
The panel also discovered that Towersey had spent approximately £1,000 on fast food for two other students, referred to as Pupil B and Child C. He admitted allowing both pupils to access the school site on weekends, instructing Pupil B not to inform anyone else. CCTV footage reviewed by the panel showed multiple meetings between Towersey and the pupils at the school outside regular hours.
When questioned, Pupil B stated they had visited the academy 'lots of times…every weekend last year…maybe 100 times,' adding that Towersey 'didn't tell us that we should not come here.' The panel found that Towersey failed to report that the children had told him they were hungry or cold, and that they had attended the school numerous times between July 2024 and January 2025 without proper authorisation.
Teacher's Defence and Panel Findings
During an investigation meeting with the school on April 23, 2024, Towersey acknowledged his actions were inappropriate. He stated: 'As soon as I offered [to help Pupil A with money], I realised it was a stupid thing to do.' He explained that he began speaking with the ex-student to ensure she had someone to talk to, but admitted he 'knew it was beyond [his] remit.' Towersey told the meeting, 'In hindsight [he] forgot that she was an ex-student and was just a normal person,' and conceded that his language was unsuitable for a professional setting.
In a written statement to the disciplinary hearing, Towersey claimed he believed his actions were having a 'net benefit to Pupil B,' arguing that the student's 'emotional wellbeing had improved and he was performing better academically.' He wrote: 'This was a reason I thought I was doing something that was in the grand scheme of things reasonable, even though risking my job he was doing well. I did not consider that [Pupil B] was at risk of neglect.'
However, the panel concluded that Towersey's conduct was 'clearly unprofessional' and involved repeated attempts to 'gain a level of familiarity with pupils' that was inappropriate for a teacher-student relationship. They emphasised his failure to adhere to safeguarding standards and professional boundaries.
Ban and School Response
Roger Towersey was banned indefinitely from teaching on March 3, 2025. The prohibition means he cannot teach in any sixth form college, school, relevant youth accommodation, or children's home in England, though he retains the right to apply for restoration of his teaching eligibility in the future.
A spokesperson for Ditton Park Academy stated: 'The safety and wellbeing of our students is always our top priority. Our safeguarding procedures are robust, well established and regularly reviewed. Whenever concerns arise, we take them extremely seriously and follow all statutory guidance and policy. As a result of this the teacher concerned was dismissed by the academy. It was our school community who raised the concerns and it was our own prompt action, including investigation and liaison with outside agencies, which led to the TRA referral.'
The case highlights ongoing concerns about professional boundaries in education and the critical importance of safeguarding protocols to protect vulnerable students from inappropriate adult conduct.
