A popular veteran teacher has been banned from the profession due to a disciplinary panel’s finding of a sexual relationship with a former sixth-form pupil.
Andrew Brook, 61, a longtime teacher at Queen Elizabeth High School in Hexham, Northumberland, was found to have “sought to exploit his position of trust” to begin the relationship.
The inappropriate conduct, which started when the student was still at the school, continued for several months after she had left and gone on to university.
The panel concluded that Brook’s actions amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, leading to his permanent ban from teaching.
The Timeline of an “Inappropriate Relationship”
The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel concluded that Andrew Brook’s actions “fundamentally breached the standard of conduct expected of the profession.”
The panel heard how the inappropriate relationship began in early 2019 after Brook asked the student, referred to as Pupil A, to sit on his lap during a coach trip.
This was followed by messages over Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, and their relationship developed over the following months.
Pupil A told the panel that during weekly meetings the following winter, Brook would hug her, initially to “warm me up,” but these hugs became “quite intimate and extended.” She also testified that he would invite her to put her hands under his shirt.
The student said that while she was revising in his classroom, Brook admitted he had feelings for her. She recalled that the next day, he picked her up in his van, drove to a car park, and told her he “really liked her” and had never had such strong feelings before.
She told the panel that while she knew the situation “was weird,” she felt “flattered” by his attention.
Lockdown Visits and Sexual Encounters
The sexual relationship began the same month, with Brook driving Pupil A to a remote location in his van.
The student told the panel that they would “park up, put the back seats down, pull the curtains round, then he would tell me to lie down and take my clothes off and we would have sex.”
In May or June of that year, Brook told the girl he loved her.
After Pupil A started university, Brook continued the relationship, visiting her during a national lockdown. During these visits, he would bring alcohol, and the two would drink together, allegedly smoking marijuana before having sex.
The student described the relationship at this point as “sexual in nature,” and said that a “large part of the relationship was about sex for him.” The pair would also discuss topics like politics, human rights, and Brook’s passion for Tibetan sovereignty.
The relationship ended sometime between February and April 2021.
Teacher Denies Wrongdoing, Blaming “Moral Policing”
In his written response to the panel in February 2024, Andrew Brook accused the investigation of “moral policing,” claiming the girl was not manipulated and “knew what she wanted.”
Brook argued that the events that took place after the student left for university were a “private matter governed by privacy laws between two consenting adults and should stay that way.”
The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel noted Brook’s lack of remorse and his attempt to “minimise the impact of his behaviour on Pupil A” as evidence of a “real risk of repetition,” which factored into their decision to permanently ban him from teaching.
Professional Boundaries Breached, Panel Finds
The panel determined that although a significant portion of the relationship occurred after the student turned 18, she was still considered a pupil until August 31 of the year she left the school.
The panel concluded that this “clearly amounted to a failure to maintain appropriate professional boundaries.”
While accepting Pupil A’s evidence that the relationship was consensual, the panel noted there was a “clear power imbalance throughout,” which continued even after she went to university.
The report stated that Andrew Brook showed “a complete lack of insight and remorse”, and there was no evidence his “concerning and deep-seated attitude to personal relationships with pupils would, or could, change.”
Pupil Describes “Clear Power Imbalance”
Despite the pupil’s attempts to end the relationship, Brook convinced her to continue it into her first term at university. He even visited her during a national lockdown, a time when such travel was highly restricted.
The student told the panel that Brook’s demand for secrecy, which forced her to lie, left her feeling estranged from her family and friends for over a year.
“Looking back at the relationship, I believe there was a lot of manipulation by Mr Brook,” she told the investigating panel.
“He was older and in a position of authority. I felt as though I could not say no to him in the relationship because of the position he was in. He had a lot of influence over me—he could have probably told me to do anything, and I would have done it.”
Teacher misconduct panel outcome
The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel issued an indefinite prohibition order against Andrew Brook, effectively banning him from ever teaching again in England.
The decision was based on his “complete lack of insight and remorse” for his behaviour. The panel also cited his attempts to downplay the impact his actions had on the former pupil as a key factor in their ruling.
Frequently asked questions
The experts in abuse claims
Schools should be safe, happy places where children and young people can learn and develop and form positive friendships and relationships.
As children, we spend a huge amount of time in education, and when we have negative experiences at school, this can have devastating effects that stay with us into adulthood.
Unfortunately, abuse in schools is common and is not something that only happened years ago. While the general public has increased awareness about abuse, and those employed in schools are subject to more vigorous safeguarding checks than they were in the past, abuse still happens.
Some people have still not come forward to report abuse that happened to them at school, college or even university.
Who will I bring the claim against?
Usually, where you have suffered abuse in an educational setting, the claim will be brought against the organisation that owns or runs the school or college. Often this will be the local authority.
Some schools may be privately owned. Universities in England and Wales are not publicly owned, and the claim will normally be brought against the Trustees of the university.
The abuse happened years ago, and I do not know if my old school even exists anymore.
Most claims for abuse in education are brought years after the abuse occurred. It is part of our job to investigate the school and establish whether it still exists.
Sometimes educational establishments change their name, have a change of ownership, or move to a different address.
It may be that the school closed years ago and the building has been demolished, but this does not necessarily mean that you cannot claim.
Our solicitors are experienced in investigating historic abuse claims. We will undertake thorough enquiries to work out who the claim should be brought against and to obtain the information we need to pursue the case.
I was a troublemaker at school, and my record might reflect this. Will it go against me?
Certainly not! It is not unusual for a child or young person at school who is suffering abuse to ‘go off the rails’ or for their school performance or behaviour to decline.
Evidence of this in your records can often support your case if the timing fits with when you say the abuse was happening.
I am a parent, and my child has suffered abuse at school recently. Can a claim be made now?
Yes. As the parent, you will be able to deal with the claim on behalf of your child. Where a person under 18 brings a compensation claim, they need to have what is known as a ‘Litigation Friend’.
If any compensation is recovered, it will in all cases be held by the Court in a special account until the child reaches 18.
How can I make a claim?
This area of the law is highly specialised, and it is important to have a solicitor who has experience pursuing claims for compensation for sexual and physical abuse and assault.
Whilst these claims are personal injury claims, many aspects differ from general personal injury claims.
Oakwood Solicitors has lawyers who, between them, have over 20 years of experience in recovering compensation for survivors of abuse.
You can contact us for a free, no-obligation chat. We will advise you whether you are eligible to make a claim and the level of damages.
If you decide to pursue the claim, we will do all the work for you, keeping you informed at every stage.
How much compensation will I receive?
Each claim is different. We will assess your claim and give you an idea at the outset of the compensation you can expect to receive.
A civil claim for sexual or physical abuse can include the following types of compensation:
- General damages – An award of money for the abuse/assaults themselves and for the pain, suffering, and any psychological effects.
- Special damages – An award for any specific financial losses we can prove, such as loss of earnings or the costs of any treatment or counselling.
- Aggravated damages – An additional award of money in certain cases where the court considers that there has been additional distress caused by how the abuse occurred.
Further information:
Teacher banned over sexual relationship with pupil.
GOV.UK Teacher misconduct panel outcome: Mr Andrew Brook.
The teacher was banned from the classroom for life after a sexual relationship with a pupil.
Oakwood Solicitors: Abuse in Schools and Education.
AbuseClaims.co.uk: Institutional Abuse.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
At Oakwood Solicitors, we have dedicated lawyers with over 20 years of experience acting for survivors of sexual and physical abuse. We understand how difficult it can be to bring and claim, and we are committed to dealing with your case in a sensitive way.
You will have a dedicated solicitor who will deal with your claim from start to finish and who will be able to speak to you at times convenient, even if this is outside our normal office hours.
Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation. Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page or call us on 0113 306 9001.
