Paedophile former Hungerford headteacher Gerry Heaton is kicked out of profession

A disgraced former headteacher has been permanently disbarred from the profession.

A professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) found that Gerard ‘Gerry’ Heaton had shown little insight into, or remorse for, his offending and, in fact, had tried to minimise it.

In 2023, Newburytoday exclusively revealed how Heaton was a secret paedophile, hoarding the most extreme child sex images.

Heaton, who was aged 57 at the time and living at Bradley Close in Kintbury, was also publishing vile child sex fantasies on the internet.

He was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for seven years.

The former pillar of the education establishment served as an adviser to West Berkshire Council schools’ Therapeutic Thinking Support Team for vulnerable or troubled youngsters until his arrest.

He was headteacher at Hungerford Primary School from January 2014 until taking early retirement in August 2017.

Previously, he was headteacher at Inkpen Primary School for more than eight years, from April 2008.

And before that, from January 2001, Mr Heaton had been deputy headteacher and acting headteacher at Lambourn Primary School.

He was serving as a specialist teacher at Theale Primary School in the months before his arrest and had served as school governor at Kintbury St Mary’s Primary School.

Mr Heaton, a former pupil at John O’Gaunt School in Hungerford, was considered an inspirational educator to generations of youngsters.

But the TRA panel said in a statement: “The panel found no evidence of Mr Heaton truly acknowledging the harm to children involved in such offences.”

Mr Heaton had not attended the hearing but had sent in a prepared statement.

In permanently disbarring him from the teaching profession, the ruling stated: “The panel did not consider Mr Heaton had shown meaningful insight.

“The panel also considered that Mr Heaton had not shown true remorse… there is some risk of repetition and this puts at risk the future wellbeing of pupils.”

A reference from a former colleague, whose name was redacted, said: “He made a positive difference to all the children that passed through the school.

“Mr Heaton was very well respected by his peers in other local schools, and his advice was often sought.”

The panel concluded: “Mr Gerard Heaton is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

“Mr Heaton shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.”