A teacher has been permanently barred from working in education after engaging in a sexual relationship with a former pupil.

Stephane Lecurieux-Clerville was leader of sixth form at the John Wallis Church of England Academy in Ashford when he began an escalating series of "sexually motivated" interactions with a female student.

The 41-year-old's relationship with the schoolgirl - identified only as Pupil A - was brought to the attention of the school authorities in June 2019 when she told another member of staff what had happened.

At a subsequent disciplinary meeting, which led to his dismissal, Mr Lecurieux-Clerville admitted to "regular text message conversations of a platonic nature".

But between September 2017 and June 2018, while Pupil A was still attending the Millbank Road school, he began to give her gifts, communicate with her outside school and even touched her beneath her top.

Once Pupil A had left the school, the relationship continued and eventually led to the pair engaging in sexual activity, including the swapping of photographs of themselves in underwear and naked.

A report by the Teaching Regulation Agency states: "The panel found that the allegations, as found proven, were of a sexual nature and were sexually motivated, in that Mr Lecurieux-Clerville had acted in pursuit of sexual gratification and in pursuit of a future sexual relationship.

"In his written representations, Mr Lecurieux-Clerville states that his intentions at the outset had been purely platonic. However, the panel considered that there was no alternative, plausible reason for Mr Lecurieux-Clerville's conduct."

The report continues: "Although Pupil A had left the school when Mr Lecurieux-Clerville had kissed her and engaged in sexual activity, the panel noted that Pupil A had only left the school a short time before and that the relationship between Mr Lecurieux-Clerville and Pupil A had developed while he was her teacher.

"The panel considered this to have been a continuing and developing relationship, with no break in communication after Pupil A had left the school. The panel therefore found that Mr Lecurieux-Clerville's actions constituted conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute."

Mr Lecurieux-Clerville admitted the facts of the allegations, and confessed to failing to maintain professional boundaries in developing an inappropriate relationship with the student, ahead of a virtual meeting of the professional conduct panel in October.

The panel has recommended to the Secretary of State that he be prohibited from teaching indefinitely and, in view of the seriousness of the allegations found proved, he not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach in the future.