West London teacher barred after safeguarding breach involving private tuition emails
A teacher at a west London private boys’ school has been barred from teaching after asking pupils to use fake email accounts to organise private tuition sessions outside the school.
A professional conduct panel found that Arfan Munir Rai, formerly a philosophy and sociology teacher at Kensington Park School, had offered additional tuition to several students and instructed them to conceal their identities when contacting him.
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The panel heard that pupils were told to use alternative names and email addresses and not to inform the school about the arrangements. This was found to be a clear breach of safeguarding expectations and professional standards.
Kensington Park School, an independent school in west London, is required to operate under strict safeguarding policies governing staff conduct and communication with pupils. These rules are designed to ensure transparency and protect student welfare.
The panel concluded that Rai had failed to adhere to those standards. By encouraging secrecy, his actions were found to undermine trust and professional boundaries expected of a teacher.
It was noted that there was no evidence that tuition was intended to take place without parental consent. Separate allegations that Rai had encouraged students to attend a secret table tennis trip were not upheld.
The panel determined that Rai’s conduct fell significantly short of the ethical standards required of the profession. Teachers are expected to maintain clear boundaries, uphold the ethos of their school, and act with integrity both inside and outside the classroom.
As a result, Rai has been issued with a prohibition order preventing him from teaching. He may apply for the order to be reviewed after 2nd March 2028.
The case highlights the importance of safeguarding procedures in schools, particularly around private tuition and communication between staff and pupils. Maintaining transparency remains central to protecting student welfare and preserving trust in the education system.
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