Unknown Teacher

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

Teacher reference number:

07/58192

Teacher's date of birth:

3 June 1974

Location teacher worked:

Berkshire, South East England

Date of professional conduct panel:

7 April 2015

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 Nuku Vanonyi Cudjoe-Calvocoressi, formerly employed in Berkshire, South East England.

The proceedings were held at 53-55 Butts Road, Earlsdon Park, Coventry CV1 3BH at 09:30 am on 7 April 2015.

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.

1 Mr Nuku Vanonyi Cudjoe- Calvocoressi: Professional conduct panel outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education April 2015 2 Contents A. Introduction 3 B. Allegations 3 C. Preliminary applications 4 D. Summary of evidence 4 Documents 4 E. Decision and reasons 4 Findings of fact 5 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 6 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 7 3 A. Introduction A professional conduct panel (“the panel”) of the National College for Teaching and Leadership (“the National College”) convened on 7 April 2015 at 53-55 Butts Road, Earlsdon Park, Coventry CV1 3BH to consider the case of Mr Nuku Vanonyi Cudjoe- Calvocoressi in a meeting. The panel members were Mrs Sarah Evans (teacher panellist – in the chair), Mr Tony Heath (lay panellist) and Mr Mike Carter (teacher panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Mr Graham Miles of Blake Morgan LLP Solicitors. The meeting took place in private, save that the decisions of the panel on facts and conviction of a relevant offence, were announced in public and were recorded. B. Allegations The panel considered the allegation set out in the Notice of Meeting dated 13 March 2015. It was alleged that Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi had been convicted of a relevant offence, in that: On 30 June 2014, he was convicted at Berkshire Magistrates ’ Court of the offence of indecent exposure, contrary to Section 66, Sexual Offences Act 2003. He committed this offence on 13 June 2014 when he exposed himself on the train to a female passenger. As a result of his conviction, he was sentenced at the Berkshire Professional conduct panel decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State Teacher: Mr Nuku Vanonyi Cudjoe-Calvocoressi Teacher ref no: 07/58192 Teacher date of birth: 03 June 1974 NCTL case ref no: 11978 Date of determination: 7 April 2015 Former employer: St George’s School, Ascot 4 Magistrates’ Co urt to a supervision requirement, a community order until 27 July 2017, costs of £85.00 , compensation of £700.00, sex offenders notice for 5 years, a programme requirement and victim surcharge of £60.00. Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi admitted the alleged facts and admitted that the conviction was for a relevant offence. C. Preliminary applications There were no preliminary applications. D. Summary of evidence Documents In advance of the hearing, the panel received a bundle of documents which included:  Section 1: Chronology, with page number 2  Section 2: Notice of Referral, response and Notice of Meeting, with page numbers from 4 to 7c  Section 3: Statement of Agreed Facts and presenting officer representations, with page numbers from 9 to 12  Section 4: National College for Teaching and Leadership documents, with page numbers from 14 to 36  Section 5 – Teacher documents, with page numbers from 38 to 39 The panel members confirmed that they had read all of the documents in advance of the hearing. E. Decision and reasons The panel announced its decision and reasons as follows: We have now carefully considered the case before us and have reached a decision. We confirm that we have read all the documents provided in the bundle in advance of the hearing. Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi qualified as a teacher in July 2009. From September 2008 to June 2014 he was employed at St George’s School, Ascot as Head of Politics. On 13 5 June 2014, he was travelling on a train from Richmond to Reading. Whilst on the train, he exposed himself to a woman by pulling up his shorts and exposing his penis to her. When the train stopped at Wokingham station, he was confronted by the woman’s husband. He left the train and the station, but was subsequently located by the police nearby. He was arrested and charged with the offence of indecent exposure by the Transport Police. When interviewed by the police, he denied that he had deliberately exposed himself. However, when he appeared at Berkshire Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded guilty to the offence. At the school’s internal investigating meeting, Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi admitted that he had exposed himself, but said that he did not realise that he was causing distress. Findings of fact Our findings of fact are as follows: It was alleged that Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi had been convicted of a relevant offence, in that: On 30 June 2014, he was convicted at Berkshire Magistrates ’ Court of the offence of indecent exposure, contrary to Section 66, Sexual Offences Act 2003. He committed this offence on 13 June 201 4 when he exposed himself on the train to a female passenger. As a result of his conviction, he was sentenced at the Berkshire Magistrates’ Court to a supervision requirement, a community order until 27 July 2017, costs of £85.00, compensation of £700.00, sex offenders notice for 5 years, a programme requirement and victim surcharge of £60.00. The panel finds the facts proved, based on Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi’s admission, the statement of agreed facts and the memorandum from the Berkshire Magistrates’ Court evidencing his admission and conviction. Findings as to conviction of a relevant offence The panel noted that Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi admitted that the conviction w as for a relevant offence. The p anel took this admission into account, but made its own determination. The panel is satisfied that Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi was convicted of an offence that is materially relevant to his fitness to be a registered teacher and, therefore, amounts to a relevant offence for the following reasons:  Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi’s actions were contrary to the standards of personal and professional conduct expected of a teacher, with reference to the Teachers’ Standards 6  His actions would be likely to affect public confidence in the teaching profession  Although a term of imprisonmen t was not imposed, the offence involved sexual activity and the sentence imposed by the Court was at the highest end of community sentence available. Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State The p anel considers that the actions of Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi were incompatible with being a teacher for the following reasons:  This was a serious departure from the personal and professional conduct elements of the Teachers’ Standards;  It involved sexual misconduct involving actions of a sexual nature which were intended to cause alarm or distress;  This was a criminal offence resulting in a conviction and significant sanction. The panel considered whether there were any mitigating circumstances. The p anel noted that Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi pleaded guilty to th e offence, having initially denied the offence. He has expressed regret for his actions. However, his a ctions were deliberate and the p anel did not think the fact that Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi had been drinking prior to the incident was a mitigating factor. Furthermore, Mr Cudjoe- Calvocoressi has not demonstrated insight into the consequences of his actions. In an e mail dated 5 March 2015 to the presenting o fficer, Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi maintained that he did not intend to cause distress to the victim, despite this being an essential ingredient of the offence to which he had pleaded guilty. The panel noted that the h eadteacher did not consider that there were any mitigating factors and the panel shares this view. The panel is satisfied that a prohibition o rder is necessary in the public interest in order to maintain public confidence in the teaching profession and to declare and uphold proper standards of conduct. This is the recommendation of the panel. The p anel considered whether to recommend that Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi be allowed to make a future application to have the prohibition order set aside. The panel had regard to the list of factors in section 7 of ‘Teacher Misconduct: The Prohibition of Teachers’. In particular the p anel considered whether the act ion of Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi amounted to serious sexual misconduct. The panel noted that it was not alleged that the offence was sexually motivated and did not involve children or the use of his pro fessional position. Whilst the p anel recognised that the offence had the potential to result in harm, there is no evidence that it did so. 7 The panel recognised that the sentence imposed requires Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi to attend a Sex Offender Treatment Programme for 63 days within a 3 year period. He was also re quired to register as a sex offender for a period of 5 years from 28 July 2014. The panel remains concerned about Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi’s current lack of insight, but recognised that successful completion of the programme may gene rate deeper insight, which the panel would expect to be demonstrated before he could be considered for a return to teaching. The panel recommends that Mr Cudjoe- Calvocoressi be permitted to apply for the prohibition order to be set aside on or after 29 July 2019, being the date on which Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi will cease to be registered on the Sex Offenders Register. Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State I have carefully considered the findings and recommendations of the panel in this case. The panel have found proven that Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi has been convicted of a relevant offence, indecent exposure contrary to Section 66, Sexual Offences Act 2003. In considering whether to recommend a prohibition order the panel have considered both the interests of the public and those of Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi. The panel have found there to be particular public interest considerations in this case, the maintenance of public confidence in the profession and the declaring and upholding of proper standards of conduct. Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi’s actions were deliberate and the panel do not consider the fact that he had been drinking prior to the event as being a mitigating factor. Whilst Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi has expressed regret, he has not shown insight into the consequences of his actions. I agree with the panel’s recommendation that a prohibition order is an appropriate and proportionate sanction. The panel have given due consideration to the seriousness of his actions. There is no allegation that his actions were sexually motivated and his actions did not involve children nor did he use his professional position. Whilst his actions had the potential to cause harm, there is no evidence that they did so. In all the circumstances I agree with the panel’s recommendation that Mr Cudjoe-Calvocoressi be allowed to apply for the order to be set aside on or after 29 July 2019. This means that Mr Nuku Vanonyi Cudjoe-Calvocoressi is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. He may apply for 8 the prohibition order to be set aside, but not until 29 July 2019 at the earliest. This is not an automatic right to have the prohibition order removed. If he does apply, a panel will meet to consider whether the prohibition order should be set aside. Without a successful application, Mr Nuku Vanonyi Cudjoe-Calvocoressi remains prohibited from teaching indefinitely. This order takes effect from the date on which it is served on the teacher. Mr Nuku Vanonyi Cudjoe-Calvocoressi has a right of appeal to the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court within 28 days from the date he is given notice of this order. NAME OF DECISION MAKER: Paul Heathcote Date: 8 April 2015 This decision is taken by the decision maker named above on behalf of the Secretary of State.