A TEACHER has been banned from the profession after sharing inappropriate emails with a pupil while at a Warrington school.

William Sharkey also made up completely false tales about being shot in a warzone while a member of the SAS to explain old running injuries.

The 38-year-old was the subject of a Teaching Regulation Agency professional conduct panel hearing last month to determine his future in the career.

In a report published yesterday, Monday, it was confirmed that he has been struck off for his actions at two schools, which could bring the profession into disrepute.

Sharkey was formerly employed at Bryanston School in Dorset between September 2015 and February 2016, then at Lymm High School from October 2020 until January 2022.

At the former, he was boarding house resident in religious studies, responsible for ensuring pupils had gone to bed and the general running of the boarding house.

He was also a teacher of philosophy, before taking up the role of head of religious studies at Lymm High.

Sharkey’s misconduct began at the Dorset school, where in February 2016 he allowed a female pupil into his resident flat, where he gave advice about universities and courses.

This happened on two occasions, once after being warned for it not to happen again.

It was also revealed that during his application, he did not disclose full details of his employment history, including previously working for an energy firm and a politician’s research team during an election campaign.

Sharkey stated that he had neglected to mention the details as he had filled in the form in a hurry, he did not think the roles were relevant and he had been trying to prioritise his best achievements.

Moreover, the teacher told colleagues and pupils that he had previously been a member of the Special Air Services (SAS) of the British Army and had been injured after being shot twice in a warzone.

It was later determined that these were both false, having never been in the SAS. In fact, his ‘wounds’ were an old running injury, with the story being imagined to hide this.

Sharkey said that he had not been motivated by any desire to show-off or impress pupils, but that he had been motivated by shame, fear and mostly by habit.

He was dismissed for his misconduct at Bryanston, before applying for a position at Lymm High School in October 2020.

But his old habits did not leave him, as during his application he failed to disclose that he had previously been employed at Bryanston School, and that he had in fact been dismissed from there.

Lymm High was not aware of this until it was contacted by someone aware of his past that was concerned that Sharkey was working there.

It then came to light that between July and August 2021, while employed as a teacher at Lymm High, he engaged inappropriate communications with a vulnerable female pupil over email.

He contacted her over the summer holidays, with emails containing phrases such as ‘stay awesome’ and ‘Hahahahahahhaa!!!’.

The emails also contained emojis and sharing information regarding trips he had taken and a book that he was reading.

The panel found that the emails were inappropriate and ‘over familiar’ in nature which failed to maintain the professional relationship between teacher and pupil during the school holidays, blurred boundaries and risked the pupil misinterpreting the nature of the communications.

Summing up, the report said: “The panel was satisfied that the conduct of Sharkey fell significantly short of the standard of behaviour expected of a teacher.

“The panel considered that Sharkey’s dishonest conduct could potentially damage the public’s perception of a teacher and may bring the profession into disrepute.

“The panel considered that public confidence in the profession could be seriously weakened if conduct such as that found against Sharkey were not treated with the utmost seriousness when regulating the conduct of the profession.”

It went on to say that the panel was very concerned that Sharkey had not exhibited any remorse or insight, admitting the allegations to prevent a lengthy hearing to take place to allow him to move overseas.

It concluded: “The panel was of the view that prohibition was both proportionate and appropriate.

“His dishonesty fundamentally undermines the trust that could be placed in him.

“Accordingly, the panel made a recommendation to the Secretary of State that a prohibition order should be imposed with immediate effect.”

Sharkey is prohibited from teaching indefinitely, and he cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

He may apply for the prohibition order to be set aside, but only after five years have elapsed.