Mr Steven William Spong

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 Steven William Spong

Teacher reference number: 1987590

Teacher's date of birth: 6 January 1995

Location teacher worked: Colchester, East of England

Date of professional conduct panel: 3 July 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 Steven William Spong formerly employed in Colchester, East of 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 Steven William Spong: Professional conduct panel outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education July 2025 2 Contents Introduction 3 Allegations 4 Summary of evidence 4 Documents 4 Decision and reasons 5 Findings of fact 5 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 9 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 13 3 Professional conduct panel decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State Teacher: Mr Steven William Spong Teacher ref number: 1987590 Teacher date of birth: 06 January 1995 TRA reference: 20974 Date of determination: 3 July 2025 Former employer: Monkwick Junior School, Colchester Introduction A professional conduct panel (“the panel”) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (“the TRA”) convened virtually on 03 July 2025, to consider the case of Mr Steven William Spong (“Mr Spong”). The panel members were Mrs Jane Gotschel (teacher panellist – in the chair), Mr Peter Whitelock (lay panellist) and Mrs Elizabeth Pollitt (teacher panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Ms Rachel Phillips of Blake Morgan LLP. 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 Spong that the allegations be considered without a hearing. Mr Spong provided a signed statement of agreed facts and admitted unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. The panel considered the case at a meeting without the attendance of the presenting officer, or Mr Spong. The meeting took place in private. 4 Allegations The panel considered the allegation(s) set out in the notice of proceedings dated 24 March 2025. It was alleged that Mr Spong was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute in that, whilst employed as a classroom teacher at Monkwick Junior School: 1. Between 11 March 2022 and 7 April 2022, he was in possession of indecent images of children; 2. Between 11 March 2022 and 7 April 2022, he uploaded to the internet indecent images of children; 3. Searched for inappropriate and/or sexual/pornographic images on the internet of: a. “Japanese teenagers” or “Japanese Schoolgirls”; b. “Jailbait” 4. His conduct as set out at any or all of the above paragraphs was sexually motivated. 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 5. Section 2: Notice of Referral, response and Notice of Meeting – pages 6 to 19. Section 3: Statement of Agreed Facts and Presenting Officer Representations – pages 20 to 26. Section 4: Teaching Regulation Agency documents – pages 27 to 496. The panel members confirmed that they had read all of the documents within the bundle, in advance of the meeting. In the consideration of this case, the panel had regard to the document Teacher misconduct: Disciplinary procedures for the teaching profession 2022 (the “Procedures”). 5 Statement of agreed facts The panel considered a statement of agreed facts which was signed by Mr Spong on 7 August 2024. The statement of agreed facts confirmed that Mr Spong admitted to the allegations and further admitted that the allegations amounted to unacceptable professional misconduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. Decision and reasons The panel announced its decision and reasons as follows: The panel carefully considered the case and reached a decision. In advance of the meeting, the TRA agreed to a request from Mr Spong 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. The panel proceeded to consider the case carefully, having read all of the documents, and reached a decision. It accepted the legal advice provided. Mr Spong was previously employed as a teacher at Monkwick Junior School, Colchester (“the School”), from 12 July 2021 until his dismissal on 17 October 2022. On 15 July 2022, Mr Spong was arrested by Essex Police (“the Police”) on suspicion of distributing indecent images of children. The Police Online Investigation Team identified the home IP address of Mr Spong to have uploaded several indecent images and videos, featuring females between the ages of 6 and 13 years old, to the internet via two KIK accounts. Following his arrest, the School commenced disciplinary proceedings resulting in Mr Spong being dismissed from employment on 17 October 2022 on the grounds of some other substantial reason, in light of the breach of trust and confidence between the School and Mr Spong following his arrest. Mr Spong was referred to the TRA on 11 January 2023. On 2 February 2023, the Police confirmed that no criminal charges would be brought against Mr Spong for the suspected offending. Findings of fact The findings of fact are as follows: 6 The panel found the following particulars of the allegation(s) against you proved, for these reasons: You are guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute in that, while employed as a classroom teacher at Monkwick Junior School (“the School”): 1. Between 11 March 2022 and 7 April 2022, you were in possession of indecent images of children; 2. Between 11 March 2022 and 7 April 2022, you uploaded to the internet indecent images of children; The panel considered allegations 1 and 2 to be intrinsically linked and therefore considered them together. The panel was presented with a crime report from the Police which identified that indecent images and videos of children between the ages of 6 and 13 years old were uploaded to the internet via two KIK accounts from Mr Spong’s home IP address. Such images and videos of children that were downloaded and uploaded to the internet included: • 1 category A image; • 9 category A videos; • 1 category B image; • 2 category B videos; • 2 category C images; and • 1 category C video. The panel noted that Mr Spong denied any wrongdoing during the School’s disciplinary proceedings and during his interview with the Police and that no criminal action was taken against Mr Spong for such suspected activity. However, the panel was presented with a statement of agreed facts, signed by Mr Spong in which allegations 1 and 2 were fully admitted. The panel also considered the Response to Notice of Referral, signed by Mr Spong within which he further admits allegations 1 and 2. It was clear that there was an evidential basis for the police investigation, whereby evidence was obtained that supported the fact that Mr Spong had acted as alleged. The panel had sight of a police statement which referenced that the Police had received a 7 factual referral in respect of the downloading of indecent images. Whilst it had been decided to take no further action in terms of a criminal prosecution and therefore his conduct did not amount to a criminal offence, it was nonetheless clear that Mr Spong fully admitted acting as alleged. Those admissions were full and unequivocal. The panel found the allegations proved on that basis. 3. Searched for inappropriate and/or sexual/pornographic images on the internet of: a. “Japanese teenagers” or “Japanese Schoolgirls”; b. “Jailbait” The panel considered allegations 3 a) and 3 b) together. The panel considered the record of interview from the Police wherein Mr Spong admitted that whilst using the internet to search for pornographic content, he used the search terms “Japanese teenagers” or “Japanese Schoolgirls”. The statement of agreed facts, signed by Mr Spong, confirms that he admits to searching both terms and that they indicate a pornographic image of a person who would look under the age of 18 years old. It was noted by the panel that Mr Spong also confirmed in his interview with the Police that he may have searched terms such as “jailbait” and that he knew what such a term meant when searching it. The panel was presented with a statement of agreed facts, signed by Mr Spong, in which allegation 3 was admitted in its entirety. The panel was satisfied that Mr Spong's admissions were unequivocal and were consistent with the supporting evidence in the bundle. Accordingly, the panel found allegation 3 proved in full. 4. His conduct as set out at any or all of the above paragraphs was sexually motivated. Having found the facts of allegations 1 - 3 proven, the panel went on to consider whether Mr Spong’s conduct was sexually motivated. The panel took into account advice received that sexual motivation means conduct that was done either in the pursuit of a future sexual relationship or the pursuit of sexual gratification. The panel noted Mr Spong’s comments in his police interview where he references gaining gratification. Within the context of the interview and the allegations made against 8 him, the panel considered it reasonable to infer that he was alluding to sexual gratification. Furthermore, in the statement of agreed facts, Mr Spong admitted that his conduct in allegations 1-3 was in pursuit of sexual gratification. Accordingly, the panel was satisfied that Mr Spong’s admissions were unequivocal and found the allegation proven accordingly. Findings as to unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute Having found the allegations proved, the panel went on to consider whether the facts of those proved allegations amounted to unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the professio