Teacher barred from profession for accessing pornography
William Schaper accessed and stored sexual content on his work computer at Eltham College Junior School.
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The central claim is attributed to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel and Eltham College, with specific dates provided.
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William Schaper, who taught general subjects at Eltham College Junior School for more than two decades, has been prohibited from teaching in England. The ban was imposed by a professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) on 15 September, following an internal investigation by the school.
The TRA panel concluded that Schaper's actions were sexual, dishonest, and demonstrated a lack of integrity. The findings stemmed from a school internet monitoring system that identified inappropriate material accessed by Schaper in January 2025. A subsequent investigation revealed that the teacher had accessed pornography multiple times during school hours and had stored sexual content in his school Outlook 365 account since 2018.
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When initially confronted by the school's acting headteacher in January 2025, Schaper initially denied the allegations and attempted to delete his browsing history. However, he later admitted to accessing pornography. Eltham College Junior School held a disciplinary hearing the following week, resulting in Schaper's dismissal from his post in January 2025.
The school referred Schaper to the TRA in February 2025, where he admitted all the charges brought against him. The prohibition order means Schaper cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation, or children's home in England. The TRA panel stated that a review of the order is possible after a minimum of two years, with any potential lifting of the ban requiring a new panel to assess Schaper's insight and rehabilitation.
An Eltham College spokesperson confirmed that Schaper's IT use was detected by monitoring systems and that the material viewed was not child-related but was inappropriate for a teacher. The spokesperson added that pupil safeguarding remains the school's highest priority.
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Questions this report answers
+Why has William Schaper been barred from teaching?
William Schaper has been barred from teaching because he accessed and stored pornography on his work computer and school email account. A Teaching Regulation Agency panel found his conduct to be sexual, dishonest, and lacking integrity.
+When can William Schaper apply to have the ban reviewed?
William Schaper is prevented from teaching indefinitely. However, he is allowed to apply for the prohibition order to be set aside after a minimum of two years, but not before September 2028.
+Was any of the material accessed child-related?
No, an Eltham College spokesperson confirmed that the material viewed by William Schaper was not child-related. However, they stated it was clearly inappropriate for a teacher to access.
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