Schoolgirl 'blackmailed into having sex with male student' on out of control skiing trip, as headteacher banned

18 December 2024, 22:38

A headteacher who ran a school trip where a girl was blackmailed into sleeping with a male student, and others drank alcohol and brought knives, has been banned from teaching.

Justine Drury, 52, head of CP Riverside School in Nottingham, which provides education for children aged 13 to 16 with behaviour or social issues, was in charge of the trip to Switzerland in 2017.

One female pupil had sex with other male pupils, including one who blackmailed her into also having sex with him after filming her, a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel heard.

A second female pupil allegedly had sex with another pupil for £30, the panel heard.

Three knives were found in one pupil's room, it was alleged.

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The panel also heard allegations that pupils were involved in shoplifting, stealing bottles of spirits from the hotel and being intoxicated, concluding that these allegations were proven.

It found that "any ordinary person would view the number of incidents that took place, including sexual activity, criminal activity and underage drinking, and the lack of measures Mrs Drury had in place to deal with such instances, to be completely unacceptable".

The panel was satisfied that Mrs Drury was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and that her actions may bring the profession into disrepute for failing to safeguard the pupils.

She is prohibited from the profession indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, youth accommodation or children's home in England.

CP Riverside School and the East Midlands Education Trust said: “When the allegations emerged following the residential ski trip in February 2017, the school worked with the police and the local authority designated officer, participating fully in their investigations and carrying out an investigation of its own.

“Ms Drury left the school in July 2017. East Midlands Education Trust supported the school’s leadership between March 2017 and February 2018 before the school joined the Trust in March 2018.

“The school seeks to reassure all parents/carers of students in our care that we take our safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously, hence the action taken at the time.”