Teacher Fiona Simpson avoids ban after explicit books incident

Fiona Simpson, who taught A-level photography at Burlington House School in Fulham, west London, provided a vulnerable student with books featuring explicit images of sex, drugs, and nudity. The books, titled Diary by Corinne Day and Emotions & Relations, contained imagery depicting drug use, oral sex, a naked man with an erect penis, and a blood-splattered bedroom.

Ms Simpson defended her actions to a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) conduct panel, stating that A-level students are "young adults" and she does not believe in "censoring the arts." She argued that students should be aware of the history of photography and its key figures. The panel described her justification as "misguided" and stressed the issue was an "apparent disregard for the needs of a vulnerable pupil."

The panel noted there was no evidence of supervision, support, or contextualisation provided to the pupil when accessing the graphic images. It stated that Ms Simpson should have recognised the significant risk to the pupil's wellbeing and that she gave no consideration to this risk or how to approach such sensitive imagery with colleagues.

In addition to the book incident, Ms Simpson was found to have inappropriately struck the pupil on the bottom using a book or magazine. CCTV recordings showed her swinging the object towards the pupil as they walked in front of her. The panel determined this contact was "inappropriate" and "entirely unwarranted," despite Ms Simpson maintaining it was accidental and a gesture to prompt the pupil to return to lessons.

Furthermore, Ms Simpson breached safeguarding protocols by escorting an unwell pupil to a café during school hours. Burlington House School terminated her employment in March 2023 during her probation period and reported her to the TRA in June of that year.

Following a hearing in October 2026, the TRA conduct panel found Ms Simpson guilty of unacceptable professional conduct. However, it recommended against prohibiting her from teaching, classifying her misconduct as being at the "lower possible end of the spectrum." The panel acknowledged there was no evidence Ms Simpson had gained understanding of her actions and cautioned of a risk of repetition. It concluded that releasing its findings would alert employers to potential dangers and enable schools to implement suitable oversight measures.