John Hardie, a 41-year-old tutor employed on a self-employed basis, has been banned indefinitely from teaching following a voyeurism incident in 2019. Hardie, who provided small group and one-to-one tuition, worked for Hull City Council and several local schools, including Winifred Holtby Academy and Wolfreton School and Sixth Form College. The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) issued the prohibition after Hardie admitted to attempting voyeurism at a McDonald's on Cottingham Road, Hull.
In October 2019, Hardie accepted a police caution for attempting to watch a girl in the female toilets at the fast-food chain. The illicit act, which was captured on CCTV, showed Hardie leaving the male toilets and following the girl as she entered the female facilities. Although the incident occurred outside of an educational setting, it coincided with his employment at Newland School for Girls. Vicky Callaghan, head teacher of Newland School for Girls, confirmed his part-time, self-employed role at the school during this period.
Hardie's employment history reveals that he worked at Newland School for Girls in 2014 and 2015 when it was under local authority control. The school transitioned to academy status in 2017. Despite his role within educational institutions, the TRA emphasized that his actions were sexually motivated and deemed incompatible with maintaining professional standards.
When contacted by the BBC, other schools affiliated with Hardie and the Department for Education were informed of his actions and subsequent ban. The sex offender notification requirement placed on him in October 2019 remains effective until October 2021, underscoring the gravity of his actions.
