A educator at a £30,000-per-annum boarding establishment has been permanently excluded from the profession after repeatedly expressing romantic feelings toward a student.

Benjamin Phelps, who is 31, received an indefinite teaching ban following a misconduct hearing that determined he had engaged in serious professional wrongdoing through his involvement with a pupil at St Bede’s School in Upper Dicker, close to Hailsham.

At the relevant time he held the positions of deputy boarding housemaster, classroom instructor and performing arts technical worker at the secondary division catering for young people between 13 and 18 years old.

During their association, Mr Phelps sent the young person unsuitable text messages, they arranged meetings beyond scheduled classes, embraced and kissed one another on the cheek, and he suggested they should miss lessons to share a meal in the vehicle together.

His employment was terminated after an inquiry and the Teaching Regulation Agency’s professional standards committee removed his name from the register on January 16 this year.

In one communication he expressed that he hoped the student had enjoyed their evening, mentioned he was falling asleep with his phone nearby, declared his love and wished them sweet dreams, and invited further contact.

Another message described physical sensations including a hot feeling moving through his body, slight trembling, and a warm glow, along with admissions that he experienced feelings of love at an intensity he had not previously encountered, described as special, along with physical reactions and desires to embrace the student.

He also communicated to the pupil expressions of increasing affection, mentioning that his heart fluttered when making eye contact, and referenced a shared appreciation for hearts and closeness.

On one occasion he wrote on a paper napkin expressions of affection, including missed contact and warm feelings.

Mr Phelps received a telephone call from the young person and their association grew more intimate, evidenced in communications dispatched through the institution’s primary digital messaging platform.

These Google chat exchanges, filled with affection symbols and emojis, comprised statements admiring the student’s mind as pure and genuine, offering virtual comfort, and cautioning about deleting messages for privacy.

The student revealed information to him that ought to have triggered him to initiate child protection protocols but he failed to do so, the committee stated.

He transferred their conversations to WhatsApp, a messaging application not sanctioned by the school, and they spent additional time together beyond lessons and shared images between them.

Their association reached a critical point when the student attempted to kiss Mr Phelps, the committee observed.

It was established that the educator did not return the kiss and subsequently attempted to restore their association to a more appropriate basis, the investigation concluded.

Nevertheless he neglected to report the kissing incident and acknowledged to the tribunal that kisses on the cheek had occasionally taken place.

References to embraces in their communications made evident that physical contact had occurred between them, the committee reported.

During the proceedings, Mr Phelps acknowledged that with the benefit of hindsight he had likely been gratified to receive the affection and that certain messages he dispatched demonstrated that he had developed romantic sentiments.

The committee determined that both individually and together the conduct constituted serious violations of professional standards and showed that the association between Mr Phelps and Pupil A had assumed a personal and romantic character.

An accusation that he pursued behavior resembling grooming was not substantiated.

Mr Phelps may petition to have the exclusion order revoked but not before January 2030, and he retains the option to challenge the decision at the High Court.