A former teacher at a private school who admitted to sharing child sexual abuse material has been barred from teaching – a move that came two years after his arrest.

Nicholas Ryde, aged 41, served as an educator at The King Alfred School in Golder’s Green, north London, for a decade before being apprehended in February 2024 on suspicion of possessing and disseminating indecent photos of children. He confessed to producing indecent images of children and circulating them in July of the same year.

Despite receiving a two-year suspended sentence, a rehabilitation program, and community service, along with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, Ryde was not officially prohibited from teaching until late 2025, as per documents from a Professional Conduct Panel.

Reports from MyLondon indicate that Ryde was found guilty of possessing category A images, the most severe form of abuse. A meeting by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) on December 19, 2025 recommended an indefinite prohibition order without the possibility of review.

The ban, enacted by Secretary of State Shabana Mahmood, prevents Ryde from teaching in any educational environment. The decision-maker stated that Ryde will not be allowed to seek reinstatement as a teacher due to the gravity of the offenses.

The distributed indecent images by Ryde did not feature students from his former school, where he stopped working shortly after his arrest in 2024.

The panel emphasized the paramount importance of safeguarding children and maintaining public confidence in the teaching profession. The decision to indefinitely prohibit Ryde from teaching was based on the need to uphold proper conduct standards in the profession.