A former teacher at Cheltenham Ladies’ College in Gloucestershire, Louis Stockton, has been banned from teaching indefinitely after engaging in inappropriate contact with a former pupil shortly after she started university. Stockton, who taught at the private girls’ school from September 2022 to October 2023, was found to have crossed professional boundaries by exchanging messages and spending the night in the student’s university accommodation.
The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) investigated Stockton following allegations of unacceptable professional conduct. Evidence revealed he communicated with the pupil, referred to as Pupil A, via Instagram and Snapchat between July and October 2023—past the official end of the school term. Despite his argument that the school’s policy on relationships after pupils leave was unclear, Stockton acknowledged that boundaries should remain in place beyond graduation.
In August 2023, Stockton met Pupil A in Cheltenham, where they visited a pub together. On another occasion, he allowed her to stay overnight at his flat after she missed the last train home, claiming she simply fell asleep on the sofa. More seriously, in early September, Stockton traveled to London after Pupil A had begun her university studies and stayed overnight in her student flat, sharing her bed. Stockton described this as a platonic arrangement for convenience due to travel distances.
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Following concerns raised to the school in mid-September by another pupil, Stockton admitted to some contact but was not fully transparent. He initially denied meeting Pupil A when questioned by the school’s safeguarding lead and continued communications even after promising to stop. The TRA panel found that Stockton deliberately misled the school about the extent of his relationship with the former pupil.
While he expressed remorse and characterized his actions as an isolated lapse in judgment, the panel highlighted the seriousness of breaches that included dishonesty and failure to maintain professional boundaries. Despite acknowledging Stockton’s early career status and passion for teaching, the Secretary of State overturned the panel’s decision not to prohibit him. Stockton is now barred from teaching indefinitely in England, with the earliest opportunity to apply for the ban to be lifted set for January 29, 2028.
Cheltenham Ladies’ College has declined to comment on the matter.