Godalming teacher banned after sending explicit images to colleagues
A Godalming school case with wider local resonance
For many families in Godalming, St Dominic’s School is a familiar name. It supports children with complex needs, a role that depends on trust between parents, pupils and the staff who work with them every day. That is why a disciplinary ruling involving one of its former teachers has struck a nerve across the town and in neighbouring Guildford, where many residents commute, shop and send their children to school. The Teaching Regulation Agency, which oversees teacher conduct in England, has now banned Alastair Grandison, 51, from the profession indefinitely. The case concerns conduct in 2022, when he was still employed at the school. According to the agency’s findings, he sent unsolicited sexually explicit images to two female colleagues. One of the messages was described by the agency as having the hallmarks of revenge pornography, a form of image-based abuse that involves sharing intimate material without consent. The school has declined to comment, and it is not suggesting any link between the behaviour and what happens with its pupils. Still, the details matter locally. They show how misconduct among adults in a workplace can have serious consequences, even when it does not involve children directly, and they show how regulators respond when it does come to light.
Who is affected and how the ruling lands
The two colleagues at the centre of the case are the people most directly affected. One told investigators that the messages made her skin crawl, and the other said she had never exchanged messages with Grandison before receiving the images. Both are entitled to a workplace free from this kind of behaviour, and the findings confirm that their accounts were taken seriously. Grandison’s defence, given at a school disciplinary hearing in 2023, was that he had been drunk and taking antidepressants at the time. The Teaching Regulation Agency examined that claim and said it found no supporting medical evidence and no sign of alcohol misuse. That finding is worth noting for anyone who has followed similar cases, because it shows that explanations offered in mitigation are tested rather than accepted at face value. Grandison was given an informal warning in 2022, but the agency’s record shows that the behaviour continued the following month. For local staff, governors and parents, the case is a reminder that informal warnings are not always enough, and that concerns raised by colleagues can and should be escalated. The ruling also means that Grandison cannot apply to have his ban overturned until 2031.
What residents can take from this and what to watch
Most readers will not be directly involved in a teaching disciplinary case, but the principles here apply widely. If you work in a school, care setting or any workplace, you should know how to raise concerns about a colleague’s conduct and who to contact if an internal response does not feel adequate. Victims of image-based abuse can seek support from the police and from specialist charities, and in England and Wales sharing private sexual images without consent is a criminal offence. Trust is also a practical issue at home. When you invite tradespeople into your house, whether bathroom fitters for a bathroom refurbishment or a kitchen renovation team working over several weeks, it is sensible to check references, confirm insurance and make sure they are properly registered with a recognised trade body. Ask whether they will be working alone and how they will keep you informed. Looking ahead, the key date is 2031, when Grandison may apply to have his ban reviewed. Until then, the case is likely to remain part of the public record, and Surrey readers should expect it to be cited in future discussions about teacher conduct and workplace safeguarding.
Source: Surrey teacher banned over images with ‘revenge porn’ hallmarks
