Mr Edward Webb

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 Edward Webb

Teacher reference number: 9637127

Teacher's date of birth: 18 October 1964

Location teacher worked: Farnborough, South East England

Date of professional conduct panel: 5 to 9 January 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 Mr Edward Webb formerly employed in Farnborough, South 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.

Mr Edward Webb: Professional conduct panel outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education January 2026 2 Contents Introduction 3 Allegations 4 Summary of evidence 5 Documents 5 Witnesses 5 Decision and reasons 6 Findings of fact 6 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 20 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 25 3 Professional conduct panel decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State Teacher: Mr Edward Webb Teacher ref number: 9637127 Teacher date of birth: 18 October 1964 TRA reference: 22696 Date of determination: 9 January 2026 Former employer: Cove School, Farnborough Introduction A professional conduct panel (“the panel”) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (“the TRA”) convened on 5 January 2026 to 9 January 2026 by way of a virtual hearing, to consider the case of Mr Webb. The panel members were Ms Amanda Godfrey (teacher panellist – in the chair), Mrs Shabana Robertson (lay panellist) and Dr Mark Sanderson (lay panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Mr James Corrish of Birketts LLP solicitors. The presenting officer for the TRA was Ms Jessica Bass of Capsticks LLP solicitors. Mr Webb was present and was represented by Mr Nicholas Kennan of Cornwall Street Barristers. The hearing took place in public and was recorded. 4 Allegations The panel considered the allegations set out in the notice of proceedings dated 8 October 2025. It was alleged that Mr Webb was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, in that: 1. On 2 May 2023, he did not provide any or any adequate health and safety instruction to pupils, in that he: (a) failed to tell one or more pupils who were using and/or about to use equipment / machinery to: i. wear aprons; ii. tie their hair back; iii. tuck in their ties; iv. wear goggles. (b) allowed one or more pupils to: i. use tools and/or equipment incorrectly and/or in an unsafe manner; ii. touch the pillar drill and/or attempt to remove Pupil A’s hair from the pillar drill whilst it was live. 2. He gave a false account about his conduct during the lesson on 2 May 2023, in that he told Pupil A, “I told you to put your hair up or out the way” or words to that effect when that was not the case 3. His conduct at Allegation 2 above was dishonest. Mr Webb admitted allegations 1(a) (i) (ii) (iii) and (iv) and 1(b) (i) and (ii). Mr Webb accepted, in connection with allegation 2, that he told Pupil A, “I told you to put your hair up or out the way” or words to that effect but otherwise denied allegation 2. Mr Webb denied allegation 3. Mr Webb accepted that the allegations he had admitted were capable of constituting unacceptable professional conduct and conduct which could bring the profession into disrepute. 5 Summary of evidence Documents In advance of the hearing, the panel received a bundle of documents which included: Section 1: Chronology, anonymised pupil list and list of key people – pages 5 to 8 Section 2: Notice of proceedings and response – pages 9 to 33 Section 3: TRA witness statements and exhibits – pages 34 to 593 Section 4: Other relevant TRA documents – pages 594 to 618 Section 5: Teacher documents – pages 619 to 687 Section 6: CMH Application – pages 688 to 695 Video CCTV footage of lesson of 2 May 2023. In addition, the panel agreed to substitute the signed version of the witness statement of Individual L for the version which it had in the bundle and agreed the late admission of the statement of Individual H which was already within the bundle. The panel members confirmed that they had read all of the documents within the bundle and viewed the CCTV footage, in advance of the hearing as well as 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 witnesses called by the presenting officer: • Witness A – [REDACTED] • Witness B – [REDACTED]; • Witness C – [REDACTED]; and • Witness D – [REDACTED] • Pupil O – [REDACTED]; Mr Webb also gave oral evidence. 6 Decision and reasons The panel announced its decision and reasons as follows: The panel carefully considered the case before it and reached a decision. Mr Webb had been employed at Cove School from 4 June 2020 as a Design & Technology (“DT”) teacher. On 2 May 2023, Pupil A caught his hair in a piece of machinery during a DT lesson in which Mr Webb was the teacher. Pupil A attended the School’s health and welfare office and the School telephoned Pupil A’s mother to inform her of the incident. The School’s Health and Welfare Assistant then reported the incident to the School’s Bursar. On 11 May 2023, an investigation was conducted by Hampshire Inspection and Advisory Service into allegations that Mr Webb had failed to provide adequate safety instructions to pupils, that he had allowed pupils to use machines incorrectly and allowed a pupil to touch the drill when it was still live during his DT lesson on 2 May 2023. On 19 October 2023 the matter was referred to the TRA. Findings of fact The findings of fact are as follows: In respect of all the allegations, the panel carefully considered the oral and written witness evidence and exhibits, and the additional documents provided. The panel scrutinised the entire bundle including the TRA’s documents concerning the investigations and the meetings of the School and other evidence surrounding the matters to which the allegations relate. The panel noted that the evidence within many of these documents was hearsay but considered that the evidence was relevant and formed part of the official investigations. The panel noted that the hearsay evidence should be considered carefully and cautiously, including in relation to the appropriate amount of weight to be placed on it. The panel noted that Mr Webb had admitted to large parts of the allegations facing him but as some elements of those allegations were denied or not fully admitted it proceeded on the basis that this was a fully disputed hearing and determined that it would carefully consider all the evidence before it. The panel found the following particulars of the allegations against you proved, for these reasons: 7 1. On 2 May 2023, you did not provide any or any adequate health and safety instruction to pupils, in that you: a. failed to tell one or more pupils who were using and/or about to use equipment / machinery to: i. wear aprons; The panel noted that Mr Webb admitted the entirety of allegation 1 but nevertheless proceeded to consider all the evidence carefully before making its findings. In connection with all elements of allegation 1 the panel took note of the fact that Mr Webb was a highly experienced DT teacher whom it had been informed was previously a head of a DT department at another school. The panel's attention was drawn to, and it considered, the documents within the bundle that demonstrated the courses of training which Mr Webb had had during his time at the School from an external provider including on 13 December 2021, 10 March 2023, 15 March 2023 and 21 April 2023. The panel also considered the detailed health and safety documents within the bundle concerning appropriate health and safety instructions for DT classes and for the use of a pillar drill. The panel noted that Mr Webb’s evidence was that he understood and agreed with the health and safety guidance, including with regard to the use of a pillar drill and the appropriate steps to be taken to ensure pupils were protected in class. The panel carefully considered the CCTV footage of Mr Webb’s DT lesson of 2 May 2023 as well as the transcript of that CCTV footage. The panel was taken to various parts of this footage by the presenting officer. The panel noted that it was not contested that Mr Webb was the teacher within the CCTV footage and that this was one of his year 10 classes. The panel understood that this was classroom 31 at the School and was not the classroom in which Mr Webb most frequently taught. The CCTV footage clearly showed a DT lesson in which the majority of the pupils were engaged in practical work including use of drilling machinery being the two pillar drills. The panel’s attention was also drawn to a belt sander. The identity of these machines was established in evidence. The panel noted a number of occasions on the CCTV footage when Mr Webb was assisting pupils using the two pillar drills in the room, where Mr Webb appeared to fail to provide health and safety instructions. These included instances when pupils were, variously, without aprons, did not have their ties tucked in, did not wear goggles or did 8 not tie their hair back. Pupils then proceeded to repeatedly use these machines without taking these steps. The panel noted that the transcript of the CCTV footage did not contain evidence of Mr Webb instructing pupils to wear aprons, tie their hair back, tuck in their ties or wear goggles. The panel considered the oral and written evidence of Pupil O. Pupil O’s evidence was that Mr Webb did not tell pupils to wear aprons unless they were painting. Pupil O stated that that there were posters around the classroom to remind pupils of the safety measures. The panel considered the notes of a meeting with Pupil O dated 3 May 2023 where she was recorded as having said that pupils were not reminded of the safety measures, such as wearing aprons, tying hair up and tucking ties in at the start of each lesson, but that Mr Webb reminded pupils every now and then when they were using machines. Pupil O was also recorded as stating that Mr Webb “d