Mr Josh Holdcroft

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 Josh Holdcroft

Location teacher worked: Wolverhampton, West Midlands

Date of professional conduct panel: 25 November 2024 to 26 November 2024,

20 January 2025 and 26 March 2025 to 28 March 2025

Outcome type: no order made

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 Josh Holdcroft, formerly employed in Wolverhampton, West Midlands.

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 Josh Holdcroft: Professional conduct panel outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education March 2025 2 Contents Introduction 3 Allegations 4 Summary of evidence 5 Documents 5 Witnesses 5 Decision and reasons 6 Findings of fact 8 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 26 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 29 3 Professional conduct panel decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State Teacher: Mr Josh Holdcroft TRA reference: 22110 Date of determination: 28 March 2025 Former employer: Coppice Performing Arts School, Wolverhampton Introduction A professional conduct panel (“the panel”) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (“the TRA”) convened on 25 November 2024 and 26 November 2024, 20 January 2025 and 26 March 2025 to 28 March 2025 date by way of a virtual hearing, to consider the case of Mr Josh Holdcroft. The panel members were in November 2024 Ms Rachael Fidler (teacher panellist – in the chair), Ms Debra Vaughan (lay panellist) and Ms Victoria Jackson (teacher panellist). In January 2025 and March 2025, the panel comprised Ms Victoria Jackson (teacher panellist – in the chair), Ms Debra Vaughan (lay panellist) and Mr Richard Young (lay panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Helen Kitchen of Blake Morgan, solicitors, save for 20 January 2025 when the legal adviser to the panel was Delme Griffiths of Blake Morgan, solicitors. The presenting officer for the TRA was Mr Alexis Dite of Counsel. Mr Josh Holdcroft was present and was represented by Mr Lawrence Shaw, Senior Regional Officer of NASUWT. The hearing took place in public and was recorded. 4 Allegations The panel considered the allegations set out in the notice of proceedings dated 21 August 2024. It was alleged that Mr Josh Holdcroft was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, in that he whilst working as a Drama Teacher at Coppice Performing Arts School: 1. Between 29 August 2022 and 26 March 2023, he exchanged WhatsApp messages with Pupil A and/or Pupil B, which were: a. Of an inappropriate and/or over-familiar nature; b. Of a considerable volume; c. Sent late at night and/or on weekends; d. Sent on school holidays. 2. Between 12 April 2022 and 19 October 2022, he exchanged emails with Pupil A, which were: a. Of an inappropriate and/or over-familiar nature; b. Of a considerable volume; c. Sent outside of school hours, including late at night and/or weekends. 3. Between 14 November 2022 and 4 December 2022, he did not report safeguarding disclosures made by Pupil A to the Designated Safeguarding Lead. 4. On 18 March 2023, he took Pupil A and Pupil B on a trip to [REDACTED] which had not been organised and/or approved by the School. 5. On an unknown date, he was uncomfortably and/or unnecessarily close to Pupil A while [REDACTED]. 6. On or around 9 February 2023, he behaved aggressively towards Pupil A, including holding her by the shoulders. 7. He had an inappropriate and/or over-familiar relationship with Pupil A, in that he: a. Discussed hugging her; b. Had conversations about her employment and salary; c. Exchanged messages to organise trips outside of school hours; 5 d. Discussed a relationship with Pupil A in August/September when she will have left school; e. Discussed his personal life, including when he was out and drinking alcohol. 8. His actions at paragraphs 1,2,4,5 and 7 above were sexually motivated. Mr Holdcroft admitted the facts of allegations 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7. He denied the facts of allegations 5, 6 and 8. Mr Holdcroft indicated that “in an overall sense” he accepted that his actions in the admitted allegations constituted actions which could constitute unacceptable professional conduct and/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: Chronology and List of Key People – pages 4 to 6 Section 2: Notice of Hearing and Response – pages 7 to 18 Section 3: Teaching Regulation Agency Witness Statements – pages 19 to 34 Section 4: Teaching Regulation Agency documents – pages 35 to 512 Section 5: Teacher documents – pages 513 to 529 In addition, the panel agreed to accept the following: Statement of Agreed Facts – pages 1 to 5 The panel members confirmed that they had read all of the documents within the bundle in advance of the hearing and the statement of agreed facts. 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: 6 Witness A - [REDACTED]; and Witness B - [REDACTED]. Mr Josh Holdcroft also gave oral evidence to the panel. 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 Holdcroft was employed at the School from 1 September 2018 as a Teacher of Drama. This was his first teaching position. He was responsible for teaching pupils from the ages of 11 to 18. Pupils A and B were pupils at the School. They were in [REDACTED] at the School when the allegations came to light, in March 2023. On 20 April 2020, Mr Holdcroft established [REDACTED] (“the Drama Club”). It was run independently of the School but took place on the school site and only pupils from the School attended. No money was exchanged between the School and the Drama Club. [REDACTED] In March 2022, a trip was allegedly arranged by Mr Holdcroft to the [REDACTED] involving Pupils A and B, without the School’s knowledge. On 9 February 2023, Mr Holdcroft allegedly acted aggressively towards Pupil A, holding on to her shoulders, in a private meeting he had with her at the back of the [REDACTED]. On an unknown date, in or around late March 2023, Mr Holdcroft was allegedly uncomfortably and/or unnecessarily close to Pupil A [REDACTED] at a drama production rehearsal. On the evening of 28 March 2023, Pupil A informed Person C, [REDACTED], of her concern about Mr Holdcroft being too close to her [REDACTED]. Pupil A also informed Person C that Mr Holdcroft had allegedly been communicating with her and another pupil via WhatsApp and informed her of the occasion when she alleged that Mr Holdcroft had acted aggressively towards her. That same evening, Person C made Witness A, [REDACTED], aware of these allegations. The following day Witness A and Person D, [REDACTED], met with Pupil A to discuss the allegations with her. 7 At around this same time it became apparent that Pupil B had also been involved in WhatsApp conversations with Mr Holdcroft. A copy of the WhatsApp conversations between Pupil B and Mr Holdcroft was obtained from Pupil B. Email exchanges between Mr Holdcroft and Pupils A and B were also obtained from the School’s email system. On 29 March 2023, Mr Holdcroft was suspended. On 6 April 2023, a LADO Position of Trust meeting was held. Between 11 and 27 April 2023, an investigation was undertaken by Witness B, [REDACTED], into the allegations raised in relation to Mr Holdcroft. On 23 May 2023, Mr Holdcroft resigned from the School. On 9 June 2023, a referral is made by the School’s HR [REDACTED] to the TRA. The panel had careful regard to the oral and documentary evidence presented and the parties’ submissions. It accepted the legal advice provided. The panel noted that Exhibits 7 and 8 to the statement of Witness B were admitted as hearsay evidence at the hearing, in accordance with an earlier case management direction. Exhibit 7 was the notes of interview between investigator Witness B and Person D. Exhibit 8 was the notes of interview between investigator Witness B and Person C. The Panel approached all of the hearsay evidence before it with caution, giving it close scrutiny to determine its reliability and compatibility with factors presented in other evidence and then decided what weight, if any, it attached to it. It understood that it needed to have regard to the factors set out in the Civil Evidence Act 1995 in assessing the weight to be attached to hearsay evidence including whether it was made contemporaneously with the occurrence of the matters addressed within it and whether it included multiple hearsay. The panel confirmed that it had not relied upon any findings made, or opinions expressed, during the earlier investigation or subsequently. It formed its own view of the allegations based on the evidence presented to it. The panel had exercised its own judgment in determining whether to accept the admissions made by Mr Holdcroft. The panel applied the civil standard “on the balance of probabilities” in its decision making on the disputed factual allegations. In making its decisions, including on the issue of sexual motivation, it had regard to Mr Holdcroft’s good character. The panel exercised its own judgement in deciding whether or not Mr Holdcroft’s proven conduct amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring 8 the profession into disrepute. In making its decisions on these matters the panel disregarded any facts and allegations which it found not proven at an earlier stage of its decision-making process. Findings of fact The findings of fact are as follows: 1. Between 29 August 2022 and 26 March 2023, you exchanged WhatsApp messages with Pupil A and/or Pupil B, which were: a. Of an inappropriate and/or over-familiar nature; b. Of a considerable volume; c. Sent late at night and/or on weekends; d. Sent on school holidays.