Mrs Emma Anderson

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: Mrs Emma Anderson

Teacher reference number: 0357923

Teacher's date of birth: 20 October 1979

Location teacher worked: Stockton-On-Tees, North East England

Date of professional conduct panel: 29 April to 30 April and 22 May 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 Mrs Emma Anderson formerly employed in Stockton-On-Tees, North East England

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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.

OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Emma Anderson: Professional conduct panel outcome Panel decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education May 2026 2 OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Contents Introduction 3 Allegations 4 Summary of evidence 5 Documents 5 Witnesses 6 Decision and reasons 6 Findings of fact 6 Panel’s recommendation to the Secretary of State 23 Decision and reasons on behalf of the Secretary of State 27 3 OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Professional conduct panel decision and recommendations, and decision on behalf of the Secretary of State Teacher: Mrs Emma Anderson Teacher ref number: 0357923 Teacher date of birth: 20 October 1979 TRA reference: 24945 Date of determination: 22 May 2026 Former employer: Whinstone Primary School, Stockton-on-Tees, part of the Spark Academy Trust (“the Trust”) Introduction A professional conduct panel (“the panel”) of the Teaching Regulation Agency (“the TRA”) convened on 29-30 April 2026 and 22 May 2026 by way of a virtual hearing, to consider the case of Mrs Anderson. The panel members were Dr Martin Coles (former teacher panellist – in the chair), Mrs Wendy Baxter (teacher panellist) and Mr Paul Hawkins (lay panellist). The legal adviser to the panel was Mrs Charlotte Belcher of Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP solicitors. The presenting officer for the TRA was Mr Laurence Harris, Counsel at Mountford Chambers, instructed by Allana Edwards of Brabners solicitors. Mrs Anderson was not present and she was not represented during the hearing. The hearing took place in public and was recorded. 4 OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Allegations The panel considered the allegations set out in the notice of hearing dated 4 February 2026. It was alleged that Mrs Anderson was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute in that: Whilst employed as a teacher at Whinstone Primary School (‘the School’), she: 1. Between 8 October 2024 and 11 November 2024 exchanged emails with Pupil A (‘the Pupil A Emails’) which were inappropriate as: a. She sent emails to Pupil A’s personal email account. b. She sent emails to Pupil A: i. outside of school working hours; ii. during school holidays. c. the content of the Pupil A Emails included: i. details of her personal life; ii. photographs of her; iii. that she expressed favouritism toward Pupil A; iv. that she sought to meet Pupil A outside of school at [REDACTED]; v. her opinions about other pupils. 2. On a date prior to 11 November 2024 she took three photographs of Pupil B and Pupil D at the School in class using her personal mobile phone when she did not have appropriate permission to do so. 3. Failed to take appropriate action or ensure another took appropriate action to safeguard Pupil A when, within the Pupil A emails, Pupil A disclosed to her: a. Having been bullied by other pupils; b. [REDACTED] c. [REDACTED] 5 OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE 4. Between 11 August 2024 and 11 November 2024 exchanged emails with Pupil B (‘the Pupil B emails’) which were inappropriate as: a. She knew that Pupil B had left the School at the end of academic year 2023/2024; b. She had provided Pupil B with her email address; c. She sent emails to Pupil B’s personal email account. 5. On or around 11 November 2024, she made arrangements to meet Pupil B and/or other former pupils outside of the school. 6. On 1 July 2024 she failed to take appropriate action or ensure another took appropriate action to safeguard Pupil C after being informed that Pupil C had been hit by [REDACTED]. 7. Her actions as described at paragraphs 1 and/or 2 and/or 4 and/or 5 above blurred professional boundaries between her and pupils. 8. By her actions at paragraphs 3 and/or 6 above she failed to act in accordance with her duties as Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead at the School. Whilst the panel received submissions on behalf of Mrs Anderson from her legal representative prior to the hearing, they did not make any admissions in relation to the allegations, whether in relation to the facts or in relation to unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. In the absence of a response from Mrs Anderson, the allegations were not admitted. Summary of evidence Documents In advance of the hearing, the panel received a bundle of documents which included: Section 1: Anonymised pupil list – page 3 Section 2: Notice of hearing – pages 4 to 35 Section 3: Teaching Regulation Agency witness statement – pages 36 to 330 Section 4: Teaching Regulation Agency documents – pages 331 to 428 Section 5: Teacher documents – pages 429 to 450 6 OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE Due to their size, the panel also received separately: Exhibit 2 to Witness A’s witness statement, which contained emails from and to Mrs Anderson, and 12 videos. The panel members confirmed that they had read all of the documents within the bundle as well as the documents received separately, in advance of the hearing. The panel also viewed the videos in advance of the hearing. 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]. Mrs Anderson did not given oral evidence and she did not call any witnesses. Decision and reasons The panel announced its decision and reasons as follows: The panel carefully considered the case before it and reached a decision. Mrs Anderson has been employed at Whinstone Primary School (“the School”) since January 2005. She was initially employed as a teacher and she commenced her role as assistant headteacher in April 2024 with responsibility for curriculum and health and wellbeing for staff and students. Mrs Anderson was also the deputy designated safeguarding lead (“DDSL”) at the School. Mrs Anderson was suspended by the School on 12 November 2024. She resigned prior to a disciplinary hearing on 17 December 2024. 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. Between 8 October 2024 and 11 November 2024 exchanged emails with Pupil A (‘the Pupil A Emails’) which were inappropriate as: a. You sent emails to Pupil A’s personal email account. 7 OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE The panel was provided with 1669 emails from Mrs Anderson’s account dated between 8 October 2024 and 11 November 2024, which were from or to Pupil A. The panel noted that in Mrs Anderson’s signed witness statement of 22 October 2025, originally made to [REDACTED], she admitted: “when Pupil A asked to email me a video of [REDACTED], I thought nothing of it. This sharing of achievements has always been encouraged as a school and children/parents were given staff emails whenever they asked… After the initial email of the video regarding [their] [REDACTED], Pupil A then started to email me on a more regular basis. At first it was ‘can I talk to you tomorrow at school’ or ‘thank you for your help’. I didn’t see any reason why these emails were going to escalate so would often just reply yes to put [their] mind at rest. However, the emails began to escalate and the volume increased again at first, [sic] I thought a reply was all that was needed and that would put an end to them. It didn’t and eventually the emails began to take the form of an extension of what we’d been talking about in the sessions – how to take mind off missing someone, how to deal with children calling [them] names.” The panel considered this evidence was also relevant to each of the sub-allegations within allegation 1. The panel noted that the witness statement of Witness A, [REDACTED], confirmed that some of the emails were duplicated when the IT department extracted the emails from Mrs Anderson’s work account and therefore the exact number of original emails is between 900 and 1600 emails. The panel noted that the witness statement of Witness A confirmed: “Individual A, reviewed Mrs Anderson’s work email account, and located hundreds of emails exchanged between Mrs Anderson and Pupil A on her work email and [their] personal email and included pictures and videos attached to some of the emails (located at appendix 4-7 of the Investigation Report).” The panel had received a copy of an email from [REDACTED] dated 24 November 2024 confirming the outcome of her police investigation into this matter. The email contained a summary of Mrs Anderson’s interaction with the police, confirming “this was before October half term the emails started, and was sent from Pupil A’s private email address to ANDERSONS work email.” The panel noted the email address of Pupil A was redacted within the emails it was provided, from which they inferred it was a personal email account. Taken in addition to the evidence of Witness A and the email from [REDACTED], the panel was satisfied that, on the balance of probabilities Mrs Anderson exchanged emails with Pupil A between 8 October 2024 and 11 November 2024 and that these were sent to Pupil A’s personal 8 OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OFFICIAL - FOR PUBLIC RELEASE email account, which was inappropriate. In particular, the School’s Staff Code of Conduct states “the school expects that staff will maintain their professional boundaries and relationships with pupils at all times… only contact pupils via the school’s established mechanis