Eltham College teacher barred from profession for accessing porn

William Schaper, a general subjects teacher at Eltham College Junior School in Greenwich, has been barred from the teaching profession. The prohibition follows his access and storage of pornography on his work computer and school account, a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel concluded. Schaper, 49, had been employed by the south-west London school for more than two decades.

Discovery and Admission

In January 2025, a test of the school's internet filtering and monitoring systems identified potential inappropriate material accessed by Schaper. An internal investigation by Eltham College subsequently found that the teacher had viewed pornography multiple times during school hours and had stored sexual material in his school Outlook 365 account since 2018. When initially confronted by the school's acting headteacher, Schaper denied the allegations and attempted to clear his browsing history. However, he admitted to accessing pornography later the same evening. Eltham College stated that the material viewed was not child-related but was clearly inappropriate for a teacher.

Dismissal and Prohibition

Following a disciplinary hearing a week after the investigation concluded, Schaper was dismissed from his post in January 2025. The school referred the matter to the TRA in February 2025, at which point Schaper admitted all allegations. A TRA professional conduct panel determined on 15 September that Schaper's actions were sexual, dishonest, and lacked integrity. The panel imposed an indefinite prohibition order, preventing him from teaching in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation, or children's home in England. He is permitted to apply for the order to be set aside after a minimum of two years, with any potential lifting of the ban subject to a new panel's evaluation of his insight and rehabilitation.

An Eltham College spokesperson confirmed the dismissal and stated that pupil safeguarding remains the school's highest priority.