A PE teacher has been banned from the profession 20 years after he is accused of having engaged in a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old former pupil. 

Anthony Bennett, now 52, was employed at the now closed Swan Valley Secondary School in Swanscombe from 2000. 

Between 2001 and 2003 he is accused of having engaged in a romantic and sexual relationship with a 16-year-old pupil (referred to as Pupil B) shortly after she left the school. 

In September 2020 the details of the alleged inappropriate relationship were disclosed to the police. 

Investigations by the police and the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) resulted in no further action being taken. 

However, the matter was referred to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) and on October 5, 2023, it was decided that Mr Bennett should be banned from the profession. 

The following details were revealed at the hearing. 

Mr Bennett is said to have texted Pupil B’s friend (referred to as Pupil A) saying that he “loved” Pupil B. 

Pupil B was told about this and said she felt “flattered” as he was someone she respected as a teacher. 

Pupil B described the relationship with Mr Bennett as progressing past a friendship into a romantic and sexual relationship. 

She said that after she left school he took her on a date and they kissed for the first time. 

Pupil B said that on another occasion Mr Bennett took her on a walk around the grounds of his old university in Greenwich. 

The hearing was told that when Pupil B’s mum found out about the relationship she was thrown out of the house. 

Pupil B said that after that Mr Bennett took her to a hotel and they had sex for the first time and that she lost her virginity to him. 

The sexual relationship continued and Mr Bennett started making promises that they would move away together. 

Pupil B said the relationship ended after a number of broken promises and because of the concerns of her friends. 

Pupil B’s claims were back up by three witnesses. 

Mr Bennett denied the allegation and alleged that the witnesses had conspired against him. 

He said that he could only think it could have been because he had ‘snubbed’ or ‘rejected’ them. 

The TRA panel said the weight of evidence against Mr Bennett was compelling. 

The panel said: “If Mr Bennett’s account of collusion was correct, this would have required elaborate fabrication and significant planning which was highly implausible and not borne out in the evidence.” 

It added: “The panel considered engaging in the inappropriate relationship with Pupil A to the level he did and engaging in a sexual relationship with Pupil B, the seeds of which were sown whilst she was still at the School, was conduct falling significantly short of the expected standards of a teacher, even at that time in the early 2000’s.” 

The panel therefore concluded that that it was more likely than not that Mr Bennett had engaged in a romantic and sexual relationship with Pupil B. 

The panel also concluded that Mr Bennett sent a number of inappropriate messages or emails to Pupil A and Pupil B while they were still at school. 

Decision maker Marc Cavey said: “In my view, it is necessary to impose a prohibition order in order to maintain public confidence in the profession.” 

Mr Bennett was banned from teaching in England indefinitely.