A former grammar school teacher who had sex with a pupil has been banned from the profession.

Keeley Dean, 44, had a sexual relationship with a sixth former in 2008, but the affair only came to light when he reported her behaviour in 2020.

Ms Dean was a 30-year-old geography teacher at Oakwood Park Grammar School in Maidstone when she started the relationship which lasted eight months.

After an investigation, a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) disciplinary panel found Ms Dean guilty of having sex with the boy on numerous occasions and at one time staying in a hotel with him.

The former student, who is now a married man, said the secret had been "eating away at him."

Ms Dean had denied the allegations.

The panel heard the affair began when she seduced her victim, identified as Pupil A, on the couch in his family's living room while his parents were away at a Christmas work party.

"Pupil A's parents were away..."

They had earlier enjoyed a friendly relationship, going to the cinema together.

The pupil said that at the time he did not consider they were doing anything wrong.

The panel chairman Alan Wells said: "Pupil A's parents were away.

"Pupil A explained that he invited Ms Dean to his house for the first time because he was there alone.

"Ms Dean came to Pupil A's house for dinner and he recalled that she went to the toilet and when she came back she sat on the sofa next to him, grabbed his hand and said 'What are we going to do about this?'

He said: "Pupil A explained that he then leant in and kissed Ms Dean and they then had sex for the first time."

Afterwards they met up at her house for sex "two or three times a week" - even though Ms Dean was married - and once stayed in a hotel.

Mr Wells said there had been an understanding that they would keep the relationship a secret.

But Pupil A called off the relationship in June 2009 when his friends began to become suspicious.

However they did briefly resume the affair after he had gone to university.

The student reported the affair to the school years later when he was planning on getting married. He said that time "had shaped my values and morals."

He said his wife had encouraged him to report his relationship with Ms Dean to ensure the safety of others.

The school immediately launched an investigation.

Ms Dean, a teacher at the school since 2001, claimed her former pupil was making things up, but the school referred the case to to the Teaching Regulations Agency.

She did not attend the three-day panel hearing and was not represented.

The panel found her guilty of professional misconduct of a serious nature likely to bring the profession into disrepute.

She has been banned from teaching for life.

Kevin Moody is the head teacher at Oakwood Park Grammar School (OPGS).

He said: "Keeley Dean was employed as a teacher at OPGS between 2002 and 2020.

"In April of 2020, I was contacted by a former pupil who informed us that he had, while a sixth form student, between the years of 2008 and 2009, been involved in a sexual relationship with Ms Dean.

"She was suspended from her post while a full investigation was carried out by the school.

"Following the investigation, a staff disciplinary committee of the governing body convened a hearing to determine whether Ms Dean had committed gross professional misconduct.

"The governors found this to be the case and she was dismissed.

"The school then referred the case to the Teacher Regulation Agency."