A married teacher at a £46,000-a-year boarding school has been banned from the profession after bombarding a teenage pupil with late-night messages.
James Samson, 46, texted and emailed ‘inappropriate’ messages to a student at Luckley House School in Berkshire for over a year after asking for her personal phone number.
The father-of-two sent messages including: ‘Shame I couldn’t get you back into my cupboard…. To find a folder (winking face emoji)’, and: ‘I was just looking at you and not listening to (Person X) anyway.’
The school launched an investigation after the pupil reported feeling ‘uncomfortable’ after the exchanges, which began in February 2023 and ended over a year later in May 2024.
The disciplinary panel heard how the pupil found Mr Samson’s messages to be ‘weird’ and ‘un-teacher-like’, but that she was not clear as to the motivation behind them, saying: ‘It seemed there was something behind it but I wasn’t clear what.’
After concerns were raised in June, Samson was dismissed on July 26, 2024.
A witness to the panel described his behaviour as displaying the ‘early signs of grooming’.
The messages exchanged included personal texts to the pupil on Christmas Day and New Years’ Eve – strictly against the school’s policy of student-staff contact outside of term time.
James Samson (pictured), 46, sent ‘inappropriate’ messages to a pupil while head of geography at a £46,000-a-year boarding school
Luckley House School in Berkshire (pictured) dismissed Samson in July 2024 after an investigation
The texts, sometimes sent late at night, included: ‘Ah that’s nice, I have to say that I always find it far more enjoyable when you’re there too! Not sure why! (emoji with person’s arms/hands in the air and winking eye emoji).’
The hearing heard how the messages between the pupil and Samson, who was the head of geography and a form tutor, ran to over 40 pages in total.
The panel found Samson’s conduct was ‘highly inappropriate’ and that it fell ‘significantly short of the standards expected of the profession’.
The ban will prevent Samson from teaching at any school in England. He can apply to have the prohibition order set aside from April 1, 2028.
Samson has since become a ‘Professional Tree Inspector’.
His profile on a gardening and landscaping website describes him as an ‘Assistant Arboricultural Consultant’ with ‘Qualified Teacher Status with 20 years teaching experience’.
