Primary School Teacher Receives Lifetime Ban for Covert Filming of Women
A primary school teacher's secret perversion for filming women's legs and bottoms has led to his indefinite prohibition from the teaching profession. The disturbing behaviour of Andrew Winkworth, a 45-year-old physical education teacher, was uncovered entirely by accident when he mistakenly posted the footage onto his school's internal IT system.
Accidental Discovery on School Server
The tawdry vice came to light when a fellow teacher at Worlingham Church of England Primary School near Beccles in Suffolk was searching for a recording of a school performance. Winkworth, who was off duty that day, had informed the office that the performance recording was available on the system. However, when his colleague accessed his account, they discovered a folder containing what was described as 'graphic' footage instead.
Further investigation revealed that Winkworth had been recording his victims as they walked in public spaces, often specifically targeting women who were 'wearing tight clothing'. The covert recordings were made in Norwich between August 2020 and January 2022, with one particularly lengthy video lasting more than ten minutes.
Technical Investigation and Police Involvement
It later emerged that the disgraced teacher had linked his personal Google account to school-issued iPads. While no inappropriate material was stored directly on the devices themselves, Winkworth is believed to have used them to access the content from his Google account. Fellow staff members were able to identify him as the person who shot the footage because the videos showed distinctive shoes he wore and featured 'the legs of an adult, athletic male'.
Suffolk Police's safeguarding team conducted a thorough investigation into the matter but ultimately found no evidence of criminality. Although 'upskirting' - which involves recording images beneath clothing without consent - was made a criminal offence in England and Wales in 2019, Winkworth's activities did not meet the specific legal criteria for this offence.
Teaching Regulation Authority's Decisive Action
The case was subsequently referred to the Teaching Regulation Authority, where a misconduct panel conducted a detailed examination. In their report, the panel noted with particular concern that some of the videos showed women who appeared to be accompanied by children, including footage of a woman walking with a young child and a young girl walking alongside an adult. The panel also observed that in some videos, the individuals filmed appeared to be young females.
The panel concluded that filming women in public places, especially in situations where children were present, was completely inappropriate and fell far below the standards expected of any teacher. Despite Winkworth's 19-year teaching career, including ten years at Worlingham Primary School where he served as head of PE and worked with Years 5 and 6 pupils, the panel imposed a prohibition order, describing the misconduct as 'particularly serious'.
Teacher's Admission and Consequences
In a statement to the misconduct hearing, Winkworth admitted that he took the videos for sexual gratification. He described his behaviour as 'unusual and unacceptable' and insisted that he 'no longer engaged in such behaviour'. Despite his claims that he 'loved being a teacher' and believed he 'could continue to be a successful and well-regarded member of the profession', the panel received no testimonials from pupils, parents or schools to support any exceptional professional standing.
The footage was discovered in March 2022, leading to Winkworth being reported to the headteacher, suspended, and ultimately dismissed in September of that year. While he can apply for the prohibition order to be lifted in four years' time, this would require consideration by another panel, with no guarantee of success.
This case highlights the serious consequences of professional misconduct in the teaching profession, even when activities may not meet the threshold for criminal prosecution. The Teaching Regulation Authority's decisive action sends a clear message about maintaining appropriate standards of behaviour for those entrusted with educating children.
