A former history teacher at a prestigious public school has been banned from teaching for life after confessing to having inappropriate thoughts about his pupils.

David Cooper taught at Tonbridge School between May 2019 and September 2000, when he was signed off work as a result of health concerns.

During treatment for his illness, the nature of which has not been disclosed, he confessed to medical staff that he had experienced inappropriate thoughts and sexual feelings about some of his pupils.

It was alleged that he also told medics that in or around 2017, he had accessed indecent images of a child on a mobile phone or using a school computer.

The medical staff reported his confessions to the school and to the police.

His case came before a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) misconduct panel last month.

It was an unusual scenario for the panel to consider in that there was no evidence against Mr Cooper other than his own reported confessions, although it heard from witnesses that he had subsequently repeated the confessions he first made to medical staff to both school staff and to the police.

Mr Cooper insisted that he had never acted on his feelings, and there was no evidence that he had done so. The all-boys school trawled back through its computer history and also found no evidence that Mr Cooper had viewed any indecent images on school equipment.

Mr Cooper, 66, was not present and was not represented at the three-day hearing, but the panel heard that he had been given sight of all the allegations against him beforehand and had not denied them.

The panel, one man and two women, said that no doubt had been cast upon Mr Cooper’s teaching abilities.

Indeed, the panel had been presented with references attesting to his skills and his positive record over a long period of time. There was also a reference to the contribution he made to textbooks in his field of history.

The panel found that Mr Cooper was not guilty of unacceptable professional conduct because there was no evidence that he ever acted on his feelings.

It also decided that the allegation that he had accessed indecent images could not be proved.

However, the panel ruled that Mr Cooper had brought the teaching profession into disrepute.

They said: “The disclosures made by him were concerning.

The disclosures made by him were concerning

“Any teacher having any such inappropriate or sexual thoughts about children or even disclosing that they did, whether true or not, would bring the profession into disrepute.“

His confessions would have a negative impact on his status as a teacher and on the teaching profession more generally.

The panel said: “His disclosures, even if false or exaggerated, could affect public confidence in the teaching profession, given the influence that teachers may have on pupils, parents and others in the community. “

There was also an “extremely strong” public interest consideration in respect of the protection of pupils.

The panel said that although there was no evidence of past misconduct, Mr Cooper’s repeated disclosures did present a risk of harmful behaviour to the children in the future. It also noted that Mr Cooper had not taken up options to undertake treatment or counselling.

The panel ruled that Mr Cooper should be banned from teaching at any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. And that the ban should be for life, with no period for review. The panel’s recommendation was subsequently endorsed by the Secretary of State for Education, with the ban coming into effect immediately.

Tonbridge School issued the following statement: “We are grateful to the Teaching Regulation Agency for its careful consideration of this matter and welcome the decision to issue a prohibition order in this case.

“When the school became aware of these disturbing disclosures, we immediately took swift and comprehensive safeguarding action – something the TRA itself recognised.

“The TRA has confirmed that there was no evidence that any child was harmed.

“Student welfare and safeguarding are at the heart of what we do and will continue to be treated with the utmost importance, underpinned by robust policies, regular monitoring and rigorous staff training.”

The case comes two years after another former teacher at Tonbridge School, Russell Tillson, was jailed for five years after being convicted of four counts of indecent assault on children at the school. The assaults had taken place over a 20-year period in a classroom and in a private residence he had at the school.

Tillson was cleared on two other charges.

Tillson, 73, taught economics at the school between 1980 and 2001 and was also head of the sixth form. He died in jail in November last year.

Founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd, Tonbridge School has more than 800 students, aged between 13 and 18, over half of whom are boarders.

The fees are currently £19,708 a term for boarders, and £14,786 per term for day pupils, plus joining fees amounting to £2,600. Its buildings and grounds spread across 150 acres.