Teacher who 'led a double life' banned for life

A teacher who downloaded hundreds of indecent images of children has been banned from the profession for life.

Tom Ivey, 43, who has changed his name to Sam Thomas, committed the offences when he was head of history and associate headteacher at Abbeywood Community School, in Stoke Gifford, South Gloucestershire.

The dad of two was given a 20-week jail sentence suspended for two years in December 2023 after he admitted possessing 436 indecent child photos and videos that police found on his Samsung mobile phone.

A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) professional conduct panel has now barred him from the profession with no right to reapply.

It means he is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth-form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

Ivey had worked as a teacher at the school for almost 19 years.

Dave Baker, chief executive of the Olympus Academy Trust, which runs the school, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the trust had taken all the appropriate action by liaising with the police and other authorities and that it referred the matter to the TRA.

Mr Baker said: “It’s a relief to us that the offences and the case did not relate to his role at school, so the safety and wellbeing of staff and students were not compromised.

“He was really credible, he was well liked at school, and so he was clearly leading a double life.”

Mr Baker said the panel’s decision earlier this month, which has just been published, was the “right outcome”.

In addition to the suspended prison sentence, Ivey was ordered to complete 40 rehabilitation activity days and comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years.

The former teacher was also given Sex Offender Notification requirements for seven years and told to pay a victim surcharge of £154 and prosecution costs of £85.

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