A teacher at St John Bosco Arts College in Croxteth, Liverpool, has been barred from teaching for excessive after-hours emails to students, some as late as 2 am, and then requesting the students to delete the messages to conceal her actions.
Jennifer Farron, 34, who worked at the school for around eight years, engaged in nearly 160 email exchanges with a student named pupil J. Additional emails were exchanged with another student known as pupil AM. The students expressed confusion over the teacher’s request to delete the correspondence, stating there was no hidden agenda.
Farron, employed as a science teacher at the school since September 2017, faced scrutiny in June 2024 for her communications with pupil J, leading to her suspension and subsequent dismissal in February of the following year. The Teacher Regulation Agency (TRA) was involved in March 2025.
Acknowledging her actions before a private hearing, Farron admitted to sending and receiving an excessive volume of emails outside of school hours, with some emails being deleted. The communications delved into personal matters like relationships and emotional states, breaching professional boundaries. Approximately 160 emails were exchanged between pupil J and Farron within a 90-day period.
Despite school communication policies dictating email hours between 7:30 am and 6 pm, Farron’s messages spanned from 2:14 am to 10:44 pm, including during school holidays. The panel noted instances where students expressed personal sentiments late at night, with Farron failing to maintain appropriate boundaries.
Farron fostered an environment where students felt comfortable emailing her at odd hours and expressing affection, leading to a breach of professional conduct. She admitted to suggesting pupil J visit her partner’s café and discussing personal matters like tattoos. Although she discussed tattoos with students without encouraging them to get tattoos, some insinuated a link between a tattoo and their relationship.
The TRA found Farron’s use of her school account for communication with students amounted to serious misconduct, with evidence of deliberate actions and dishonesty in requesting email deletions relevant to the school’s investigation. Farron expressed regret for causing distress and disruption, acknowledging the breach of trust and strain on the school community.
Expressing remorse, Farron accepted the TRA’s decision to ban her from teaching in England indefinitely, with a possibility of appeal after three years. St John Bosco Arts College confirmed Farron’s suspension in 2024 pending an investigation that led to her dismissal and subsequent referral to the TRA.