Matthew Coombs, a former headteacher of Hartest Primary School, near Bury St Edmunds, is banned from teaching indefinitely

A former headteacher who was convicted of sending sexually-explicit messages to a ‘14-year-old boy’, who was in fact a police officer, has been banned from teaching for life.

Matthew Coombs, a former head of Hartest Church of England Primary School, near Bury St Edmunds, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court in 2023 for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Earlier this month, he was issued with a prohibition order, with no review period, by David Oatley, on behalf of the secretary of state, after a professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency considered his case.

Coombs, who began employment as head of Hartest Primary School in 2017, sent sexually-explicit messages and photographs to an undercover police officer, posing as a 14-year-old boy, called Ryan, on the Grindr dating platform in 2020.

During those communications, the officer disclosed to Coombs that he was only 14 years old.

The ex-headteacher had arranged to meet the individual on February 20, 2020, at Cineworld in Ipswich, but that day he was arrested on suspicion of engaging in sexual communication with a child.

He was sentenced on May 15, 2023, in the Ipswich Crown Court to a two-year community order, including a 35-day rehabilitation order, and unpaid work for 150 hours.

He was also put on the police sexual offenders register for five years to run alongside a sexual harm prevention order.

In making his decision, Mr Oakley said: “In this case, I have placed considerable weight on the panel’s comments concerning the seriousness of the offence committed by Mr Coombs and his lack of full insight and remorse.”

He added that it was necessary to impose a prohibition order to maintain public confidence in the profession.

The professional conduct panel said it took into account the submissions made by Coombs’ counsel at the sentencing hearing that he had no previous convictions and that he had taken steps to address his offending behaviour, in particular, by reducing his alcohol use and by engaging with his church.

However, the panel was concerned by the lack of remorse shown by Coombs and the panel was ‘concerned’ about the risk of repetition if he were to remain in the teaching profession.

The panel also noted that he had shown a limited level of insight by recognising that his actions constituted ‘unacceptable conduct’ for someone of his professional standing and background as a safeguarding lead.

However, the panel considered that this insight was very limited and did not demonstrate that Coombs fully understood the seriousness of the offence for which he had been convicted.

The report said: “In particular, the panel did not accept the account given by Mr Coombs in his personal statement that he had simply been ‘naïve’ and ‘incredibly stupid’ in his actions and the panel did not accept his submission that he was unaware that the individual was a child.”

The panel was of the view that prohibition from teaching was both proportionate and appropriate and decided that the public interest considerations outweighed the interests of Coombs.

Mr Oakley said: “In my judgement, the lack of full insight and remorse means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this puts at risk the future wellbeing of pupils. I have therefore given this element considerable weight in reaching my decision.”

The decision, which was made on December 3, means Coombs is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and is not entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.

He has a right of appeal to the King’s Bench Division of the High Court within 28 days.