Science Teacher Indefinitely Banned for Accessing Adult Sites in Essex School

Christian Watkinson, a science teacher at The Christian School in Takeley, Essex, has been banned from the teaching profession for at least a decade after repeatedly accessing adult chat sites and pornographic content on his school laptop during lessons between November 2022 and May 2023. Despite being warned by the school after a pupil first reported inappropriate images on the classroom screen, Watkinson continued to view and display such content, using a mobile phone hotspot to bypass the school's internet safety features. Multiple pupils reported seeing explicit images and messages on his device, and Watkinson was observed taking his laptop into the chemical storage cupboard during lessons, raising safeguarding concerns. The Teaching Regulation Agency panel described his conduct as "exceptionally reckless" and found it constituted serious misconduct, with pupils testifying that inappropriate content appeared nearly every lesson. The school investigation uncovered numerous adult content alerts linked to his personal email account, confirming sustained misuse of the laptop for accessing adult sites during school hours. This case highlights significant breaches of professional conduct and safeguarding responsibilities in an educational setting.