Teacher banned after series of 'weird' messages with teenage student

Peter Stevens
Sun, 19 Apr 2026 03:19:43 +0000

A teacher in Berkshire has been banned after sending a series of "weird" and "un-teacher-like" messages to a teenage girl he taught.

James Samson, 46, sent texts and emails to the pupil for more than a year after he asked for her personal phone number.

The married dad-of-two was head of geography and form tutor at Luckley House School, a private school in Wokingham.

Messages listed by the Teaching Regulation Agency included a message signed off with a heart emoji.

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Other messages included: "I was just looking at you and not listening to [Person X] anyway."

He wrote: "Shame I couldn't get you back into my cupboard….To find a folder," sent with a winking face emoji.

"Ha ha I was loving your rolling eyes!" he sent to his pupil.

And also sent with a winking emoji, he said: "Ah that’s nice, I have to say that I always find it far more enjoyable when you’re there too! Not sure why!"

He also invited her to join him in locations around the £46,000-a-year boarding school.

"Hey you! You know you are more than welcome to come and chill in my room for revision whenever," he wrote.

He wrote: "Just wondering if you have any more news on your UCAS stuff? And if you fancy the leisure centre tomorrow come along."

The disciplinary panel heard he contacted the pupil across WhatsApp, email, and text between February 2023 and May 2024, with a printout of the messages being over 40 pages.

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Messages were sent on Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, late at night, and on weekends, the panel heard.

The pupil told the panel it was unclear the exact motivation behind the messages.

She said: "It seemed there was something behind it but I wasn’t clear what."

The school launched its investigation after concerns were raised in June 2024 and Mr Samson was fired the following month on July 26.

A witness said the behaviour was "an early sign of grooming" and consulted with another person who agreed, the panel heard.

The panel determined he fell "significantly short" of the teaching standard and did engage in highly inappropriate behaviour.

Mr Samson admitted to sending the messages but denied they were sexually motivated.

The panel heard that he previously stated his "language became over familiar" and admitted he used "completely inappropriate language".

He has been banned from teaching in England and cannot apply to return to the profession until April 2028.

Mr Samson now works as a "Professional Tree Inspector", with an online profile describing him as an assistant arboricultural consultant with 20 year's teaching experience.