The teenage pupil said the messages from James Samson, 46, were “un-teacher like” and made her feel uncomfortable – a panel also heard he sent texts that included a winky face
A married teacher at a £46,000-a-year boarding school has been banned from classrooms after he bombarded a teenage pupil with “weird” late-night messages.
James Samson, 46, sent the texts and emails to the schoolgirl over a year after he asked for her phone number. Father-of-two Samson was head of geography and a form tutor at the posh Luckley House School in Berkshire.
Messages he sent the teen include: “Shame I couldn’t get you back into my cupboard… To find a folder [with a winky face].” Another said: “I was just looking at you and not listening to [Person X] anyway.”
In another message, Samson said: “Hey you! You know you are more than welcome to come and chill in my room for revision whenever.” Another added: “Ah that’s nice, I have to say that I always find it far more enjoyable when you’re there too! Not sure why!”
Further messages seen by The Mirror include: “Just wondering if you have any more news on your UCAS stuff? And if you fancy the leisure centre tomorrow come along.” The panel also heard Samson asked for the pupil’s phone number and suggested it was a way for him to get in touch with her as he was having difficulties with his email.
A disciplinary panel heard how Samson contacted the pupil on WhatsApp, email and texts between February 2023 and May 2024. Some of the messages were sent late at night and also on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, which broke the school rules.
The pupil said the messages were “weird” and “un-teacher like” that made her feel “uncomfortable”. She added: “It seemed there was something behind it but I wasn’t clear what.”
School officials carried out an investigation amid raised concerns in June, 2024. About a month later, Samson was fired. Panel members heard the texts ran to more than 40 pages. A witness claimed the behaviour was “early signs of grooming”.
It was determined Samson failed to keep boundaries and ruled the conduct was “highly inappropriate” and that his behaviour fell “significantly short” of what was expected. A witness also explained the school’s policy that forbids teachers from giving out personal information.
“The Policy states that staff cannot give their personal numbers or email addresses to pupils, and they should not communicate with pupils on social media. Staff should only communicate with pupils through their school email or a school telephone. Any video calls should be through Microsoft Teams.
“It is rarely appropriate for a staff member to ask a pupil for their personal mobile number. The only reason it would be appropriate is on a school trip to ensure that pupils are safe. It would never be for casual communication.”
The panel’s report read: “The panel considered that Mr Samson’s actions; in seeking and obtaining the phone number of a pupil, corresponding with them both inside and outside of term time and school hours, and sending messages which were ill-judged and inappropriate, was conduct that fell well below the appropriate standards.
“For these reasons, the panel was satisfied that the conduct of Mr Samson amounted to misconduct of a serious nature which fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession.”
