A FORMER headmaster who left a school in Taunton under a cloud is free to go back into the classroom to teach.

Christopher Alcock was suspended and later resigned from Queen's College amid several allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

A professional conduct panel found a number of the allegations proven and referred the matter to the Education Secretary, whose department has decided not to ban Alcock from the profession.

The panel found he:

*viewed and obtained inappropriate sexual images of women and YouTube videos on school technology;

*used his college e-mail address to send and receive inappropriate sexually motivated messages with women;

*failed to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with a female student;

*did not pass on suicidal thoughts a student who later took her own life had confided in him;

*met students while he was suspended;

*failed to report a girl student's claim she had been raped by another student.

But Alcock was cleared of a number of other allegations, including sending and/or receiving inappropriate message from current and former Queen's students; acting dishonestly by destroying material relevant to the investigation into his conduct; and failing to take adequate action over an alleged relationship between a student and a volunteer at the school.

Alcock was suspended by Queen's governors on May 10, 2016, and resigned 13 days later, almost 15 years after he started there. He was also reported to the police, but did not face any criminal proceedings.

The panel, which sat in Coventry earlier this month, ruled that Alcock's behaviour amounted to "unacceptable professional conduct" that may bring the profession into disrepute and referred the matter to the Secretary of State.

Although he failed to correctly follow safeguarding procedures, the Education Secretary's representative, Dawn Dandy, agreed his actions were "well-meaning", he did not present a risk to students and he was an "inspirational" and "intensely pastoral" teacher.

She said :"In my view, it is not necessary to impose a prohibition order in order to maintain public confidence in the profession.

"A published decision that is backed up by remorse and insight demonstrated in this case, coupled with the mitigation offered does in my view satisfy the public interest requirement concerning public confidence in the profession."