Mr Antony Phillips

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: Mr Antony Phillips

Teacher reference number: 3633682

Teacher's date of birth: 29 January 1991

Location teacher worked: Birkenhead, North West England

Date of professional conduct panel: 4 February 2025

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 Mr Antony Phillips formerly employed in Birkenhead, North West 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.

Mr Antony Phillips: Professional conduct panel meeting outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education February 2025 2 Contents Introduction 3 Allegations 4 Preliminary applications 4 Summary of evidence 4 Documents 4 Statement of agreed facts 5 Decision and reasons 5 Findings of fact 5 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 8 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 11 3 Professional conduct panel decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State Teacher: Mr Antony Phillips Teacher ref number: 3633682 Teacher date of birth: 29 January 1991 TRA reference: 21458 Date of determination: 4 February 2025 Former employers: Calday Grange Grammar School, Wirral Introduction A professional conduct panel (‘the panel’) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (‘the TRA’) convened on 4 February 2025 by way of a virtual meeting, to consider the case of Mr Phillips. The panel members were Mrs Bev Williams (teacher panellist – in the chair), Mr Nathan Cole (teacher panellist) and Ms Sarah Daniel (lay panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Miss Eleanor Bullen-Bell of Birketts LLP solicitors. In advance of the meeting, after taking into consideration the public interest and the interests of justice, the TRA agreed to a request from Mr Phillips that the allegations be considered without a hearing. Mr Phillips provided a signed statement of agreed facts and admitted conviction of a relevant offence. The panel considered the case at a meeting without the attendance of the presenting officer, Jon Walters of Brabners LLP, Mr Phillips or any representative for Mr Phillips. The meeting took place in private by way of a virtual meeting. 4 Allegations The panel considered the allegations set out in the notice of meeting dated 15 January 2025. It was alleged that Mr Phillips was guilty of having been convicted of a relevant offence, in that on or around 31 July 2023, he was convicted at Merseyside Magistrates’ Court of: 1. Distributing indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children on 19/09/22 Protection of Children Act 1978 s.1 2. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children on 10/05/18 – 20/12/22 Protection of Children Act 1978 s.1(a) 3. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children on 10/05/18 – 20/12/22 Protection of Children Act 1978 s.1(a) 4. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children on 10/05/18 – 20/12/22 Protection of Children Act 1978 s.1(a) 5. Possessing an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children on 10/05/18 – 20/12/22 Criminal Justice Act 1988 s.160 6. Possess prohibited images of children on 10/05/18 – 20/12/22 Coroners and Justice Act 2009 s.62(1) Mr Phillips admitted the facts of allegations 1 to 6 and that his behaviour amounted to a conviction of a relevant offence falling short of the standards of behaviour expected of a teacher, as set out in the statement of agreed facts signed by Mr Phillips on 22 November 2024. Preliminary applications There were no preliminary applications. Summary of evidence Documents In advance of the meeting, the panel received a bundle of documents which included: • Section 1: Notice of referral, response and notice of meeting – pages 1 to 26 • Section 2: Statement of agreed facts – pages 27 to 29 5 • Section 3: Crown Court documents – pages 30 to 48 • Section 4: Police documents – pages 49 to 75 • Section 5: Teacher representations – pages 76 to 80 The panel members confirmed that they had read all of the documents within the bundle, in advance of the meeting. Statement of agreed facts The panel considered a statement of agreed facts which was signed by Mr Phillips on 22 November 2024, and subsequently signed by the presenting officer on 26 November 2024. Decision and reasons The panel carefully considered the case and reached the following decision and reasons: In advance of the meeting, the TRA agreed to a request from Mr Phillips for the allegations to be considered without a hearing. The panel had the ability to direct that the case be considered at a hearing if required in the interests of justice or in the public interest. The panel did not determine that such a direction was necessary or appropriate in this case. Mr Phillips was undertaking work at Calday Grange Grammar School (‘the School) at the time in which the conduct took place. On 12 December 2022, Mr Phillips was arrested, and the police recovered his electronic devices, which were then analysed. Analysis of his devices showed that Mr Phillips had shared an indecent image via Snapchat and had made or possessed over 5,000 still indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children. On 31 July 2023, Mr Phillips was convicted at Merseyside Magistrates’ Court for 6 counts of offences. Mr Phillips was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on the 25 August 2023. 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: 6 On or around 31 July 2023, Mr Phillips was convicted at Merseyside Magistrates’ Court of: 1. Distributing indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children on 19/09/22 Protection of Children Act 1978 s.1 2. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children on 10/05/18 – 20/12/22 Protection of Children Act 1978 s.1(a) 3. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children on 10/05/18 – 20/12/22 Protection of Children Act 1978 s.1(a) 4. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children on 10/05/18 – 20/12/22 Protection of Children Act 1978 s.1(a) 5. Possessing an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children on 10/05/18 – 20/12/22 Criminal Justice Act 1988 s.160 6. Possess prohibited images of children on 10/05/18 – 20/12/22 Coroners and Justice Act 2009 s.62(1) The panel considered the statement of agreed facts, signed by Mr Phillips on the 22 November 2024. In that statement of agreed facts, Mr Phillips admitted allegations 1 to 6, and further admitted that the facts of the allegations amounted to a conviction of a relevant offence. Notwithstanding this, the panel made a determination based on the facts available to it. The panel noted page 8 of the Teacher misconduct: the prohibition of teachers (‘the Advice’) which states that where there has been a conviction at any time, of a criminal offence, the panel will accept the certificate of conviction as conclusive proof of both the conviction and the facts necessarily implied by the conviction, unless exceptional circumstances apply. The panel did not find that any exceptional circumstances applied in this case. The panel had been provided with a copy of the certificate of conviction from Liverpool Crown Court, dated 1 October 2024, which detailed that Mr Phillips had been convicted of the following offences: 1. Distributing indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children on 19/09/22 Protection of Children Act 1978 s.1 2. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children on 10/05/18 – 20/12/22 Protection of Children Act 1978 s.1(a) 3. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children on 10/05/18 – 20/12/22 Protection of Children Act 1978 s.1(a) 7 4. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children on 10/05/18 – 20/12/22 Protection of Children Act 1978 s.1(a) 5. Possessing an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children on 10/05/18 – 20/12/22 Criminal Justice Act 1988 s.160 6. Possess prohibited images of children on 10/05/18 – 20/12/22 Coroners and Justice Act 2009 s.62(1) The panel noted that Mr Phillips admitted and pleaded guilty to all 6 offences. In respect of the convictions, Mr Phillips was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, suspended for 24 months on counts 1, 2, 5 and 6; 60 hours of unpaid work; 30 days mandatory attendance at the Horizon program; 15 days rehabilitation activity requirement; 6 months imprisonment, suspended for 24 months on counts 3 and 4; to be made subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 5 years, and to be added to the sex offenders register, being made subject to a 10 year sex offenders notice requirement. On examination of the documents before the panel and the admissions in the signed statement of agreed facts, the panel was satisfied that the facts of allegations 1 to 6 were proven. Findings as to conviction of a relevant offence Having found the allegations proven, the panel went on to consider whether the facts of those proved allegations amounted to conviction of a relevant offence. In doing so, the panel had regard to the document Teacher Misconduct: The Prohibition of Teachers, which is referred to as ‘the Advice’. The panel was satisfied that the conduct of Mr Phillips in relation to the facts it found proved involved breaches of the Teachers’ Standards. The panel considered that by reference to Part 2, Mr Phillips was in breach of the following standards: • Teachers uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school, by o having regard for the need to safeguard pupils’ well-being, in accordance with statutory provisions o showing tolerance of and respect for the rights of others o not undermining fundamental British values […] the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect […] • Teachers must have proper and professional regard for the ethos, policies and practices of the school in which they teach […]. 8 • Teachers must have an understanding of, and always act within, the statutory frameworks which set out their professional duties and responsibilities. The panel noted that Mr Phillips’ behaviour involved in committing the offence could have had an impact on the safety or security of pupils and/or members