Housemistress at £56k-a-year boarding school banned from teaching over sexual offences with boy
A housewife has been banned from teaching indefinitely after being found guilty of sexual assault against a child.
Miss Beverley Dunnage, 52, worked at St George’s School Ascot, an elite boarding school for girls in Berkshire; This school charges £56,000 a year and Princess Beatrice was there before.
However, he was dismissed from his job after an allegation that he had sexual intercourse with a boy was reported to the police.
He was found guilty of two sexual offenses with a minor at Taunton Crown Court in July 2024 and was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.
At a professional conduct meeting, a panel was told Ms Dunnage, the Year 8 head and Year 13 boarding mistress, drank alcohol with the boy outside the school environment one night in May 2024 and encouraged the boy to engage in sexual activity with her.
The Teaching Regulation Agency’s executive panel said: “His actions raised obvious and significant public and child protection concerns.”
The board read evidence showing the housewife claimed she committed the offenses “following an argument” that left her “distraught and unable to think clearly”.
However, the Board stated that “her conduct was contrary to what should be at the core of her profession as a teacher with a duty of care to children”.
The court found that “Ms Dunnage’s actions were intentional, even though she had consumed alcohol at the time” and that “there was no evidence to suggest that Ms Dunnage had acted under undue duress”.
Finding that the conviction was genuine, the panel concluded that “given the serious findings of inappropriate relationships with children, there was a strong public interest in the safety and welfare of students.”
Stuart Blomfield, the decision-maker for the Secretary of State, banned Ms Dunnage from teaching indefinitely.
Mr Blomfield said: “In my view, a lack of full insight means that there is a risk of this behavior being repeated and this puts the future welfare of students at risk. I therefore gave great weight to this element in reaching my decision.”
