Why the UK needs clearer rules on teacher relationships with ex pupils
The case of Daniel Roberts, a former head of music teacher banned from the profession for his relationship with a past pupil, has highlighted a vital question: should there be clearer boundaries around relationships between teachers and former students?
Roberts, 32, was employed at a school in Penrith, Cumbria, from 2017 to 2022. During the time between 2019 and 2021, he exchanged more than 3,000 pages of personal and inappropriate emails with a pupil, gave her lifts in his car, and engaged in social activities with her and her family whilst still a teacher.
Although Roberts maintained the sexual relationship began only after the student left school, the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) ruled his earlier conduct constituted unacceptable professional conduct and a serious breach of safeguarding duties.
He was banned indefinitely from teaching and cannot apply to lift the prohibition until January 2030, with the ruling stating: “There have been multiple failures by Mr Roberts to address the safeguarding risk, and Roberts actively encouraged and engaged in inappropriate communication with the pupil.”
This case has exposed a significant gap in the current UK framework for teacher conduct.
The legal loophole
As of April 2025, the UK does not have explicit legislation that prohibits teachers from entering relationships with former pupils, so long as they are over the age of consent.
As it stands:
- The Department for Education focuses its guidance on current teacher-student relationships.
- The ‘Teacher misconduct: regulating the teaching profession’ policy outlines misconduct involving pupils but does not specifically address post-graduation relationships.
- Educational institutions may set their own policies, but these vary and are not enforced nationally.
- Misconduct panels must assess cases like Roberts’ on a case-by-case basis, often without a clear legal standard.
In Roberts’s case, the panel did not find evidence a sexual relationship existed while the student was enrolled. However, they did find his behaviour during her school years to be inappropriate and unprofessional, raising deep ethical concerns.
The safeguarding risks were clear and yet, due to the absence of national guidance, there was no legal basis to penalise the post-graduation relationship.
What are other institutions doing?
Universities like the University of Exeter and oversight bodies like the Office for Students have policies discouraging romantic relationships between staff and students under their academic care.
They do so because even consensual relationships in these circumstances can:
- Lead to conflicts of interest;
- Cause emotional and psychological harm;
- Damage the reputation of educational institutions;
- Involve abuse of power, whether intentional or not.
These policies recognise professional boundaries should not stop at the school gates.
To ensure fairness, consistency, and protection for both students and staff, the Department for Education and the Teaching Regulation Agency must revise current guidance. Without clearer national guidance, we leave students vulnerable, and educators exposed to reputational and professional harm.
What needs to be added to the guidance?
At BBK, we believe there are four policy changes needed to protect learners and educators:
- Establishing a defined time period (e.g., 1–2 years) during which relationships between teachers and former pupils are discouraged or prohibited.
- Introducing national guidance on post-school contact, especially where the teacher held a pastoral or leadership role.
- Requiring training for educators on professional boundaries that extend beyond classroom walls.
- Implementing review mechanisms for any teacher who enters a relationship with a former student within a defined post-graduation period.
Conclusion
The Daniel Roberts case has highlighted a grey area in the law that urgently needs attention. Without clearer guidance, we risk failing to protect both students and educators from the long-term consequences of blurred professional lines.
Bolt Burdon Kemp is committed to supporting survivors of abuse and obtaining the compensation they deserve.
