A teacher who told a Hertfordshire pupil her “arse is looking really good” has been barred from the profession, according to a tribunal.

Joel Walker – who used to teach at Egerton Rothesay School in Berkhamsted – told Pupil A he had a “dream of a sexual nature involving her” and, while on an inflatable assault course, took hold of the pupil’s clothing and caused her to fall on top of him, a report said.

According to the government’s Teaching Regulation Agency, the PE teacher admitted all six of the main allegations he was originally presented with at a panel meeting on December 23 last year.

Egerton Rothesay School is a school for pupils with special educational needs who can access a mainstream curriculum.

The school suspended Mr Walker as soon as the allegations were made in April 2019, and he left the school once the investigation ended.

A signed statement by Pupil A, who had left the school by the time she raised the concerns, reads: “In year 11, Mr Walker began to speak to me about more personal issues, particularly in his personal and romantic life.

“He would speak to me about past partners and informed me he had dated [redacted] [sic.] in the past.”

Pupil A added: “Mr Walker started becoming more secretive, and on several occasions, invited me to his classroom to talk during lunch.

“Mr Walker’s classroom was in a very quiet building with less people around.

“On one occasion, whilst we were in his classroom alone, Mr Walker took a ruler from his desk drawer and said words to the effect of ‘do you know how big it is?’.

“He came incredibly close to me, held the ruler near his groin area and moved my hand so that one was on the mark and the other was further along the ruler.

“I felt uncomfortable with this and thought it was a very odd thing to do.”

The statement continues: “Mr Walker would often put his hand on my shoulder or lower back.

“I believed this was a comforting or reassuring gesture and did not believe he was touching me in a sexual manner, although it felt unprofessional and unnecessary.”

Pupil A said Mr Walker used words to the effect of “your arse looks incredible” on “prize day” when she was wearing a dress.

On another occasion, the pair began a race through an assault course.

“We began to race through the course, and while inside could not be seen by anyone outside,” Pupil A’s statement reads.

“Mr Walker began to get quite physical with me, grabbing me, trying to throw me back and at one point pulling me back on top of himself on the floor.

“We were only in this position for a matter of seconds, however, I noticed it was very odd.”

All of the incidents involving Pupil A took place at some point between September 1, 2014 and July 31, 2017.

In another one of the six incidents which Mr Walker admitted, the teacher took alcohol to another former student – Pupil B – who was on a residential course near to where he lived.

This incident took place on “an unknown date in 2018”.

The Teaching Regulation Agency report set out Pupil A had enrolled in the school because she needed “specific support and had particular needs”.

A report by Alan Meyrick, Teaching Regulation Agency chief executive, reads: “In all circumstances, Mr Walker had shown a reckless disregard for Pupil A’s wellbeing and his own duties and responsibilities as a professional and role model in relation to his conduct concerning Pupil A and Pupil B.

“Accordingly, the panel was satisfied Mr Walker was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct.”

The report adds: “The panel found that the offences of sexual activity and sexual communication with a child were relevant, in broad terms, insofar as Mr Walker had engaged in sexually motivated behaviour towards Pupil A.

“However, the panel did have in mind that Mr Walker had not committed a criminal offence.”

Mr Meyrick said Mr Walker expressed “considerable regret and remorse for his actions”.

In addition to “unacceptable professional conduct”, the panel found Mr Walker’s actions amounted to “conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute”.

Mr Meyrick’s decision, dated January 13 this year, is that Mr Walker is “prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England”.

The decision notice prevents Mr Walker from trying to restore his ability to teach again, although he could appeal the decision in the High Court within 28 days of the original decision.

A Egerton Rothesay School spokesperson said: “When these concerns were brought to the attention of the school we immediately put in place the approved safeguarding procedures – which included a full internal investigation and external reporting – during which time the employee was suspended.

“At the conclusion of the investigation the employee left the school.”