Mr Kieran Taylor

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 Kieran Taylor

Teacher reference number: 0252121

Teacher's date of birth: 31 March 1976

Location teacher worked: Weymouth, South West England

Date of professional conduct panel: 17 January 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 Kieran Taylor formerly employed in Dorset, South 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 Kieran Taylor: Professional conduct panel meeting outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education January 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 7 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 Kieran Taylor Teacher ref number: 0252121 Teacher date of birth: 31 March 1976 TRA reference: 19908 Date of determination: 17 January 2025 Former employer: Beechcroft St Pauls CofE Primary School, Dorset Introduction A professional conduct panel (‘the panel’) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (‘the TRA’) convened on 17 January 2025 by way of a virtual meeting, to consider the case of Mr Kieran Taylor. The panel members were Ms Geraldine Baird (lay panellist – in the chair), Mrs Shabana Robertson (lay panellist) and Mr Tom Snowdon (teacher panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Mrs Samantha Cass 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 Taylor that the allegations be considered without a hearing. Mr Taylor 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, Mr Alexander Barnfield of Capsticks LLP, Mr Taylor or any representative for Mr Taylor. The meeting took place in private by way of a virtual meeting and was not recorded. 4 Allegations The panel considered the allegations set out in the notice of meeting dated 9 January 2025. It was alleged that Mr Taylor was guilty of having been convicted of a relevant offence, in that he was sentenced at Dorset Magistrates Court on 22 October 2021 for the following offences: 1. One count of making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children 30/01/2020 2. Two counts of making indecent photograph or pseud-photograph of children on 24/02/2016 – 16/03/2021 3. One count of possession of extreme pornographic images – of intercourse/ oral sex with dead/alive animal on 17/03/2021 Mr Taylor admitted the facts of allegations 1, 2 and 3 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 Taylor on 5 September 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: Chronology, anonymised pupil list and list of key people – pages 3 to 4 • Section 2: Notice of referral, response and notice of meeting – pages 5 to 21 • S ection 3: Statement of agreed facts and presenting officer representations – pages 22 to 28 • S ection 4: TRA documents – pages 29 to 38 • Section 5: Documents from the police – pages 39 to 54 5 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 Taylor on 5 September 2024 and subsequently signed by the presenting officer on 9 October 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 Taylor 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. On 22 October 2021 Mr Taylor was convicted at Dorset Magistrates Court in respect of 4 charges. The 4 charges included 3 counts of indecent images of children and 1 count of possession of extreme pornographic images. The matter was referred to the TRA on the 23 March 2021. 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. One count of making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of children 30/01/2020 2. Two counts of making indecent photograph or pseud-photograph of children on 24/02/2016 – 16/03/2021 3. One count of possession of extreme pornographic images – of intercourse/ oral sex with dead/alive animal on 17/03/2021 The panel considered the statement of agreed facts, signed by Mr Taylor on 5 September 2024. In that statement of agreed facts, Mr Taylor admitted allegations 1 to 3 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. 6 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 convictions and the facts necessarily implied by the convictions, 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 Bournemouth Crown Court, dated 27 July 2023, which detailed that Mr Taylor had been convicted on 19 November 2021 of 3 counts of making indecent photographs/pseudo photographs of a child and 1 count of possessing extreme pornographic images of intercourse/oral sex with a dead/alive animal. In respect of the convictions, Mr Taylor was sentenced to a 3-year community order, a rehabilitation requirement of 60 days, a sexual harm prevention order, ordered to sign the sexual offenders register and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £60. The panel noted that Mr Taylor pleaded guilty to the offences. 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 were proven. Findings as to conviction of a relevant offence Having found the allegations proved, 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 Advice. The panel was satisfied that the conduct of Mr Taylor in relation to the facts it found proved involved breaches of the Teachers’ Standards. The panel considered that by reference to Part 2, Mr Taylor 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 • Treating pupils with dignity, building relationships rooted in mutual respect, and at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher’s professional position; o H aving regard for the need to safeguard pupils’ well-being, in accordance with statutory provisions; o S howing tolerance of and respect for the rights of others…; and o not undermining…the rule of law… 7 • Teachers must have proper and professional regard for the ethos, policies and practices of the school in which they teach, and maintain high standards in their own attendance and punctuality. • 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 the individual’s actions were relevant to teaching, working with children and/or working in an education setting. The panel noted that the behaviour involved in committing the offence could have had an impact on the safety or security of pupils and/or members of the public. The panel also took account of the way the teaching profession is viewed by others. The panel considered that Mr Taylor’s behaviour in committing the offence/these offences could undoubtedly affect public confidence in the teaching profession, particularly given the influence that teachers may have on pupils, parents and others in the community. Mr Taylor’s conduct ran counter to what should have been at the very core of his practice as a teacher with a duty of care towards children. The panel noted that Mr Taylor’s behaviour ultimately led to a sentence of imprisonment, (albeit that it was suspended), which was indicative of the seriousness of the offences committed. The child protection and public protection issues engaged by Mr Taylor’s actions were demonstrated by the Court's sentence. This was a case involving an offence of any activity involving viewing, taking, making, possessing, distributing or publishing any indecent photograph or image or indecent pseudo photograph or image of a child, or permitting any such activity, including one-off incidents, which the Advice states is more likely to be considered a relevant offence. The panel found that the seriousness of the offending behaviour that led to the conviction was relevant to Mr Taylor’s ongoing suitability to teach. The panel further noted that in the statement of agreed facts, signed by Mr Taylor, he admitted the facts amounted to a conviction of a relevant offence. Notwithstanding his admission, the panel, having considered all the evidence before it, was satisfied that Mr Taylor had been convicted of a relevant offence. Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State Given the panel’s findings in respect of a conviction of a relevant offence, it was necessary for the p