Gerard Heaton, a 59-year-old former headteacher, received a lifetime ban from the teaching profession after admitting to making indecent images of children. Heaton, who has served as head of several schools throughout West Berkshire and was a supply teacher from 2015 to 2022, has had enough. Today, he is facing heavy legal consequences for what he did.
Yet in May 2022, authorities arrested Heaton. These included charging him with three counts of making indecent images of children and one count of publishing an obscene article. Following a hearing at Reading Crown Court in March 2023, Heaton was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment. That 2212 sentence was frozen for two years. Throughout the entire proceedings he entered a guilty plea to each and every charge.
The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel found Heaton’s misconduct was “extremely serious.” The panel’s assessment highlighted that he had “fundamentally failed to acknowledge the potential impact on the children involved.” The panel found this “apparent remorse” mitigated the harmful effect of his actions on both himself and his employer. Given the seriousness of his crimes, though, the panel determined this response inadequate.
The TRA’s somewhat unprecedented decision to impose a permanent ban on Heaton came after a private hearing that took place last month. This ruling serves to ensure that he can never return to the teaching profession, putting an end to his career in education.
Heaton’s long-established reputation as an effective headteacher and supply teacher had often put him in positions of significantly greater responsibility and trust. His convictions have now cast a pall over his professional trajectory. The case touches on deeply troubling issues related to the safety and welfare of children in our schools.
