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A teacher could be banned due to sexual misconduct involving pupils which included inappropriate touching.
Between 2017 and 2018, Stefan Joao Goncalves taught PE at Hilltop Primary Academy in Frindsbury, near Strood, where parents and pupils said he crossed boundaries.
At a teacher misconduct panel hearing, it was proved the 29-year-old failed to maintain a professional relationship with five pupils.
Mr Goncalves, who was not present due to being away for his birthday, told boys they were special both in person and through cards.
He pulled one of the boys, pupil A, out of his lesson.
He was also seen touching and stroking the boy’s face, leg, hand and even putting him in a head lock.
Panel chairman Gamel Byles said: “Allegations regarding pupil A also included the teacher whispering in the pupil’s ear and tickling.
“Mr Goncalves also gave the child gifts and allegedly visited him at his home. H also spent time alone with this pupil.”
The school’s head teacher at the time, Gavin Evans, gave a statement regarding the behaviour.
He said: “At first I had no concerns. He was very friendly towards the children and focused on team work. He wanted the kids to do their best.”
It was December 2017 when Mr Evans was first made aware of other staff members’ concerns.
He added: “He was taking pupils and speaking to them alone in a conference room for one-to-one pep talks but that wasn’t part of his job.
“I’d had discussions with Mr Goncalves about this, but in March 2018 I was told about him giving an over familiarity towards pupil A.
“One teacher flagged he was giving lots of body contact towards the child.”
One situation that raised concerns for the school happened on March 23, 2018.
Mr Evans said: “We were unable to find pupil A or Mr Goncalves after lunchtime.
“In the end, Mr Goncalves was found by the deputy head teacher with pupil A, who was distressed, between his legs.
“The room’s door was closed, the blinds were drawn and the lights were off.”
Mr Evans explained Mr Goncalves’ excuse for this was due to an incident that happened between pupil A and another child.
“He said he was trying to sort out the situation alone, which is against our behaviour policy, so pupil A would not miss a school event.”
“I explained how the situation would be perceived as wrong and why a written warning was needed but Mr Goncalves seemed naive.”
Two months later, further concerns were raised once Mr Evans reviewed CCTV footage.
This was shown in private to the witness and the panel.
Speaking about this, Mr Evans said: “The behaviour he showed to the child was inappropriate.
“When we questioned him and began an investigation Mr Goncalves was calm and said he felt like he was friends with the pupils.
“After my previous discussions with him I didn’t understand how he could be naive once more after it was explained to him how it was wrong.”
Mr Evans commented on another piece of CCTV evidence: “It looked wrong, the way his body was close to the child, he was invading their personal space.
“There was one clip when he was putting something in or taking something out of their mouth.”
Interviews regarding this situation were conducted by the school and police.
However, Kent Police has confirmed there is no longer an ongoing investigation.
Holly Quirk, presenting officer for the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA), said: “Mr Goncalves made a number of admissions and explanations during these police interviews.
“He said he did pull pupil A out of the lesson and he did hold and touch the pupil’s hand.
“However, he said this was because he was checking to see if the boy had dirty nails.
“With regards to the touching of the pupil’s leg and face, and the time spent alone in the [PE kit storage] container, Mr Goncalves told police this was because he is just a tactile individual.”
He also taught after-school clubs and sporting activities. He also acted as a teaching assistant in other lessons.
Mr Byles went on to explain allegations made with regards to pupils B, C, D and E, all of whom weren’t named.
He said: “Mr Goncalves reportedly offered and gave lifts to pupil B, he also offered to take the child bowling.
“Pupil B also received a card and present from Mr Goncalves and was also subjected to him touching and holding his leg, as well as cuddling.
“Mr Goncalves also told Pupil B he loved him and he was a good-looking boy.”
The panel heard he had told pupil D he liked teaching him as he was more mature.
As well as this it was reported he placed his arm around the pupil and told him he was one of the reasons he wanted to stay at the school but also leave.
None of the pupils involved in the allegations are still at the school.
Pupil E was supposedly sent a card with pictures of him and Mr Goncalves.
Mr Byles said: “Pupil E was told by Mr Goncalves he wanted to keep him in his life and he saw the boy more as a brother, not a pupil.
“He told the boy that he wanted to stay in touch and asked the boy to meet him for lunch.
“Mr Goncalves also gifted the boy with a present.”
Photos and videos of pupils A, B, C, D and E were also found on the teacher’s personal mobile phone during a police investigation.
Ms Quirk said: “Mr Goncalves did not deny the pictures and videos. He said he thought he had deleted them.”
The TRA is investigating Mr Goncalves due to conduct of a sexual nature, believing some of his actions were sexually motivated.
Ms Quirk added: “Mr Goncalves failed to comply with school guidelines.
“It was also reported the hugging of the pupils was witnessed by parents in public at the school and during games.”
Pupil A’s mum, known to the panel as mother A, spoke about the odd behaviour she noticed and how it affected her child.
She said: “Initially I thought he was a good PE teacher.
“However, after witnessing the way he spoke to myself and the kids I had a gut feeling something was wrong.”
Mr Goncalves supposedly came to pupil A’s home on two occasions – bringing a letter and bag when the boy was unwell.
His mother explained: “He turned up with no reason.
“I was surprised to see him but I said ‘thank you for bringing pupil A’s things home’ but he really didn’t need to as it wasn’t important.
“He lingered, I think he wanted me to invite him in but I didn’t.”
Mother A also commented on Mr Goncalves’ behaviour at school events, saying: “He grabbed pupil A in a man hug and it made me uncomfortable. He pulled my son into his chest.”
After feeling something wasn’t right and hearing from Mr Evans about the inappropriate classroom behaviour, Mother A also gave her statements to the school and police investigation.
Speaking on her son’s behalf, mother A said: “Pupil A said Mr Goncalves was a weirdo.
“He is older now and doesn’t talk about the situation much. He wants to put it to the back of his mind.
“He lingered, I think he wanted me to invite him in but I didn’t.”
“When he was in Mr Goncalves’ lessons he used to tell me he had a bellyache or a headache, these were all excuses so he wouldn’t have to go into school.
“Pupil A was always confident and outgoing, after Mr Goncalves he went into himself.”
Speaking on day four of the hearing Jo Miles, who was a teaching assistant, explained how Mr Goncalves’ actions made her “uncomfortable”.
Ms Miles said: “I first raised concerns in March 2018 when I noticed him taking pupils out of lessons. This wasn’t normal behaviour.”
She explained how at first she thought Mr Goncalves was taking pupil A out of class to speak about sporting activities.
She said: “I didn’t understand why the chats were so important that the child had to be taken from his other lessons; they could have happened at lunch times. It made myself and other staff uncomfortable.”
As part of his role, Mr Goncalves was expected to support children with special educational needs.
However, it wasn’t uncommon for him to ask pupil A to sit in their place instead.
Ms Miles continued: “I witnessed him tickling pupil A between his waist and his neck.
“He would do this in the classroom with other pupils around, it didn’t matter who was around.”
The teaching assistant also said she saw Mr Goncalves stroke pupil A’s cheek, something else that made her “extremely uncomfortable”.
Hilltop Primary School has a swimming pool.
When it is used for lessons, a strict staff-to-pupil ratio is in place to keep the children safe.
One particular day, Mr Evans said Mr Goncalves neglected this responsibility, instead staying with pupil A.
Continuing to speak about his tendency to remove pupil A from lesson, Ms Miles said: “Once he entered the lesson myself and pupil A were in.
“Mr Goncalves said he needed to speak to the boy and I didn’t understand why.
“Another teacher who was at the pool also came over and didn’t know why Mr Goncalves had left their lesson.”
Ms Miles explained pupil A’s main teacher went on leave for some time, meaning a supply teacher was in charge.
She added: “Mr Goncalves told them he’d have to work with the pupil. The supply teacher had to ask me if that was the case.”
Ms Miles also witnessed Mr Goncalves place his hands on the child’s shoulders and guide him to the school’s sport storage container.
She finished: “When this happened pupil A was almost withdrawn.
“He’s a really good student and he never went against rules so he always followed the teachers’ instructions.
“That’s why he went with Mr Goncalves who was too touchy feely.”
Speaking in her closing submission, Ms Quirk revealed seven CCTV clips of six incidents were being review by the panel.
She said: “The first showed Mr Goncalves sitting next to pupil A. He pulls him closer and appears to be whispering something in his ear.
“Mr Goncalves is also seen holding pupil A’s head and running his fingers down his face.”
Ms Quirk went on to explain the other clips included footage of Mr Goncalves wrapping his arms around the child and holding their hand.
“That’s why he went with Mr Goncalves who was too touchy feely.”
At the end of the closing submission it was also stated Mr Goncalves had also tripped a pupil up in class and asked others to lie to their parents about school trips.
A statement from pupil B, who said Mr Goncalves touched the inside of his upper thigh near his groin, said how his teacher called him a “good looking boy”.
It read: “I hate Mr Goncalves, he put me through so much stress.”
When Mr Goncalves was investigated by police his phone was seized and downloaded. It contained hundreds of pictures of pupil’s smiling faces.
A statement read out by Ms Quirk explained Mr Goncalves’ reasoning.
She said: “He admitted to taking the photos of the pupils on his personal phone in the police interview.
“He also admitted he was too involved with the pupils but just wanted to be a role model to them.
“Mr Goncalves also said taking pupil A to a room alone was a lapse in judgment.
“He also said the touching and stroking of the pupil’s hair was an impulse but he claimed he was just a tactile individual.”
On Monday, Ms Quirk told the panel a prohibition order would be appropriate for Mr Goncalves.
This means he would be prevented from teaching in a school, including independent schools, sixth-form colleges, youth custody settings and children’s homes.
The panel will make their decision in private and Mr Goncalves will be told of the result via letter.
A statement from Hilltop Primary Academy said: “We hired Mr Goncalves in the role of an unqualified PE teacher after we did our thorough safeguarding and references procedures, which we do for every new member of staff.
“His previous school said they would ‘recommend him without reservation’ which is the best reference you can get.
“We were told they would go out of their way to appoint him again, but following conversations during these investigations it did become clear that concerns were also evident at his previous school.
“At our school as soon as issues came to light with Mr Goncalves we thoroughly investigated his behaviour with staff, pupils, their parents and CCTV footage.
“We immediately informed the local authority designated officer (LADO), who told us his case ‘doesn’t meet our threshold’ and it should be treated under the school’s own policies.
“We immediately took disciplinary action but as his behaviour didn’t improve we went back to the LADO, who referred the matter to the police.
“The police picked up the case but a decision was reached no further action would be taken, despite the CCTV footage and pages of evidence.
“I am unsure whether this will change after the result of this case.
“We did and continue to do everything we possibly can to safeguard all of our pupils and while it is essential Mr Goncalves never gets to work in a school again, we are concerned there are no safeguards in place whatsoever and he is free to do whatever he likes outside of the teaching profession.”
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