Miss Harriet Brown

The Secretary of State does not make these decisions themselves. They are made by a senior official on the recommendation of an independent panel.

Teacher's name: Miss Harriet Brown

Teacher reference number: 1273658

Teacher's date of birth: 14 October 1994

Location teacher worked: Stockton-on-Tees, North East England

Date of professional conduct panel: 19 to 20 February 2026

Outcome type: Prohibition order

Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with The Teacher's’ Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012, a professional conduct panel was convened to consider the case of Miss Harriet brown formerly employed in Stockton-on-Tees, North East England.

Teacher misconduct

Ground Floor, South

Cheylesmore House

5 Quinton RoadCoventryCV1 2WT

Email TRA.Casework@education.gov.uk

Telephone 020 7593 5393

Information about regulating the teaching profession and the process for dealing with serious teacher misconduct.

OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Miss Harriet Brown: Professional conduct panel outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education February 2026 2 OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Contents Introduction 3 Allegations 4 Summary of evidence 4 Documents 4 Witnesses 5 Decision and reasons 5 Findings of fact 6 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 15 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 18 3 OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Professional conduct panel decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State Teacher: Miss Harriet Brown Teacher ref number: 1273658 Teacher date of birth: 14 October 1994 TRA reference: 23777 Date of determination: 20 February 2026 Former employer: St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, Stockton-on-Tees Introduction A professional conduct panel (“the panel”) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (“the TRA”) convened on 19 to 20 February 2026 by way of a virtual hearing, to consider the case of Miss Harriet Brown. The panel members were Ms Gill Lyon (teacher panellist – in the chair), Mrs Emma Hendry (lay panellist) and Miss Amanda Johnston (teacher panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Ms Lara Small of Birketts LLP solicitors. The presenting officer for the TRA was Ms Kiera Riddy of Browne Jacobson LLP solicitors. Miss Brown was not present and was not represented. The hearing took place in private and was recorded. 4 OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Allegations The panel considered the allegations set out in the Notice of Hearing dated 13 November 2025. It was alleged that Miss Brown was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, in that, while working as Assistant Headteacher and SENDCO at St. Patrick’s Primary School (‘the School’): 1. Between February 2020 and October 2023, she failed to disclose her relationship with Individual X, a convicted sex offender, to the School. 2. On one, or more, occasions, she provided information about Individual X that was false or misleading to the School, in that: a. When asked, following Individual X’s arrest, if she was still in a relationship with him, she said she was not; b. During the School’s investigation process, she informed the School’s Investigation Officer that she had not been aware of Individual X’s arrest. 3. Her conduct at allegation 1 and/or allegation 2 above was dishonest and/or lacked integrity. Miss Brown did not admit to the facts of allegation 1, 2(a), 2(b) or 3. She made no admission as to whether her conduct amounted to unacceptable professional or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. Summary of evidence Documents In advance of the hearing, the panel received a bundle of documents which included: Section 1: Correspondence – pages 5 to 36 Section 2: TRA documents – pages 38 to 229 Section 3: Teacher documents– pages 232 to 255 In addition, the panel agreed to accept the following: • A written statement from Miss Brown to the panel dated 16 February 2026 (4 pages in length) • A letter from Miss Brown to the panel and the Secretary of State containing her application for [REDACTED] • A letter from Individual A, [REDACTED] dated 2 February 2026 (1 page in length) • An email chain between 17 February 2026 to 18 February 2026 between Miss Brown and the presenting officer with the subject line “Statement”. 5 OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE The panel members confirmed that they had read all of the documents within the bundle, in advance of the hearing and the additional documents that the panel decided to admit. In the consideration of this case, the panel had regard to the document Teacher misconduct: Disciplinary procedures for the teaching profession 2020, (the “Procedures”). Witnesses The panel heard oral evidence from the following witness called by the presenting officer: Witness A – [REDACTED] Decision and reasons The panel announced its decision and reasons as follows: The panel carefully considered the case before it and reached a decision. On 1 September 2016, Miss Brown commenced employment at St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School (‘the School’). In late March 2019, Miss Brown entered into a relationship with Individual X. At this time, the School were aware of this relationship. In September 2019, Miss Brown ended her relationship with Individual X. In October 2019, Miss Brown restarted her relationship with Individual X. In November 2019, Individual X told Miss Brown that an allegation had been made against him. Individual X was arrested, charged and a court date set. Miss Brown then ended the relationship. In November 2019, Miss Brown made a disclosure to the School about Individual X, allegedly in relation to the offences he had been charged with. In January 2020, regular contact was re-established between Miss Brown and Individual X. On 4 February 2020, Individual X was found guilty at trial for sexual offences against children under the age of 13. From July 2020 to October 2023, Miss Brown regularly visited Individual X in prison. On 24 October 2023, following a home visit to Individual X’s parents, probation officer Individual B spoke with Miss Brown, who initially denied and then admitted her relationship with Individual X, including regular phone calls and visits to see him in prison. Individual B recorded that Miss Brown had resumed the relationship and had not disclosed this to the School. On 25 October 2023, Individual B referred the matter to the Local Authority Designated Officer (“LADO”) and contacted [REDACTED], Witness A. The LADO advised the same day that Miss Brown must disclose the situation to the Headteacher. Miss Brown then 6 OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE telephoned Witness A and informed him about her contact and relationship with Individual X. Witness A notified Trust HR and the LADO. On 27 October 2023, Miss Brown was asked to remain at home, pending investigation. On 30 October 2023, the School held an initial fact-finding meeting with Miss Brown. On 8 November 2023, a formal LADO meeting took place in relation to Miss Brown. The meeting confirmed the non-disclosure of an ongoing relationship and regular prison visits and calls. On 11 December 2023, Miss Brown attended an investigatory interview, during which she admitted having visited Individual X regularly and [REDACTED]. On 26 February 2024, Miss Brown was dismissed by the School. On 25 April 2024, a referral was said to be made to the TRA and the DBS. Findings of fact The findings of fact are as follows: The panel found the following particulars of the allegations against you proved, for these reasons: 1. Between February 2020 and October 2023, you failed to disclose your relationship with Individual X, a convicted sex offender, to the School. The panel had sight of HMP Northumberland visitor logs dated 13 January 2025, which showed a large number of regular visits Miss Brown made to HMP Northumberland to see Individual X spanning from July 2020 to October 2023. The panel considered the contents of the LADO referral form dated 25 October 2023 in which probation officer Individual B stated that on 24 October 2023 she spoke with Miss Brown during a home visit to Individual X’s parents. Individual B recorded that during this conversation, Miss Brown “admitted the relationship with [X]”, despite initially denying this. Individual B recorded that Individual X is a registered sex offender convicted of sexual offences against children under 13. Individual B stated that Miss Brown told her she had initially shared these offences with the Headteacher but had informed him that the relationship had ended. Individual B stated that during this discussion Miss Brown described the extent of her contact with Individual X, which included “regular phone call and visits”. Individual B recorded that she told Miss Brown she would be confirming this information through Probation and prison security. The LADO referral document recorded that on 25 October 2023 Individual B made these enquiries, and that prison security confirmed Miss Brown had had “regular fortnightly visits to [X] and daily phone calls”. The panel also considered the LADO meeting notes of 8 November 2023, which reviewed concerns about Miss Brown’s ongoing contact with Individual X. Individual B 7 OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE stated that she had reviewed prison records which showed that Miss Brown had been visiting Individual X twice a month whilst he had been in prison and that there had also been regular telephone contact between them. Individual B stated that Miss Brown had initially been “vague” about the relationship and was not “open and honest”, and had denied contact, and that she was not aware that Individual B had printouts and records of all of their telephone conversations and prison visits. Individual B stated that when confronted with this information, Miss Brown accepted that the visits and phone contact had happened. [REDACTED]. The meeting notes stated that Miss Brown advised that since speaking to Individual B and Witness A, she has had no contact with Individual X and has contacted the prison herself via a confidential email to ask them to stop all unwanted calls and emails from Individual X. When Miss Brown first spoke to Witness A about her relationship with Individual X, she did not divulge that she had been visiting Individual X as often as she had been and also said that she had been visiting due to the “financial ties”, as he had given her £6000 to set up a house. The pa