A SUPPLY teacher showered a pupil with gifts including perfume and chocolates and befriended almost 200 others on Facebook.
John Hyndman, 60, sent the gifts as Christmas presents and added 194 girls at Kingswood College of Arts as friends on the social networking site, despite being warned against it.
A professional conduct panel heard Mr Hyndman sent other students at the school personal cards and letters and gave gifts and money.
He signed one letter 'Thank you for being a good friend. John x'.
Mr Hyndman worked as a supply teacher, through an education agency, at the school, now Kingswood Academy, between January 2008 and March 2010.
The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) was told he gave one pupil £20 for Christmas along with DKNY perfume, champagne truffles, Belgian chocolates, a Twilight poster and a CD and DVD of boyband JLS.
Mr Hyndman, who was not at the hearing in Coventry, also admitted giving watches to two pupils as prizes for being the best in English and cash gifts to others.
He said he had "de-friended" the pupils on Facebook in October 2009 after he was advised to do so, but added them again when he was about to go to America.
After Christmas 2009-10, Mr Hyndman had 205 Kingswood pupils on his Facebook site, 194 of which were girls.
He admitted his behaviour was "naive and maybe a little unprofessional", the hearing was told.
Hyndman was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. However, he was allowed to continue teaching.
Professor Ian Hughes, chairing the NCTL panel, said: "The panel is satisfied that the conduct of Mr Hyndman fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession.
"The panel considers the totality of the allegations found proved is evidence of conduct which fell significantly below the standards of behaviour expected of a teacher.
"In particular, the panel finds the giving of gifts of significant value to selected pupils and the giving of money, all in breach of a published school policy, to constitute conduct that falls below the standards expected."
But he said it found no evidence of any improper motive on Mr Hyndman's part, or evidence of any harm to pupils.
Character witnesses, including a former assistant headteacher at the school, said they found Mr Hyndman to be a person with professional and personal integrity.
Prof Hughes said: "The panel has taken into account that Mr Hyndman has a previously good record and, indeed, the panel heard evidence from one of the witnesses that Mr Hyndman was a well-liked and respected teacher by staff and pupils alike.
"Mr Hyndman demonstrated great commitment to the school given his dedication to extra-curricular activities and team sports, despite his status as a long-term cover teacher."
The panel concluded banning Mr Hyndman from the classroom would be "disproportionate" to his behaviour and that the nature and severity of the behaviour is at the less serious end of the possible spectrum.
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