A WOMAN has been banned from teaching for the rest of her life after forming a relationship with a 15-year-old pupil.

Suzanne Harrison, 46, has been prohibited by the Teaching Regulation Agency from working at any school, college, youth accommodation or children’s home following a professional conduct investigation.

Between 2005 and 2010, Ms Harrison, then a geography teacher at a Colchester school, struck up a close relationship with one pupil and her family.

She used this closeness to instigate a sexual relationship with the teenager, around the time of her 15th birthday.

The relationship continued for more than four years.

In October 2009, Ms Harrison introduced the former pupil to her then partner, who then began a relationship with her.

Eventually the pupil disclosed the details of her past relationship with Ms Harrison to her mother and this was reported to the police in the summer of 2011.

She was arrested and suspended from her teaching role in July before later being prosecuted in the courts.

Before the professional conduct meeting, Ms Harrison provided a signed statement of agreed facts and admitted being convicted of four relevant offences.

A panel considered the case at a meeting without her.

A report compiled by Dawn Dandy on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education said: “There is a strong public interest consideration in respect of the protection of pupils given the serious findings of an inappropriate sexual relationship with a pupil.

“The panel notes that Ms Harrison has demonstrated remorse for her actions and significant insight into the impact they may have had on the pupil.

“However, given the serious and sustained nature of the offences, the panel is of the view that public interest considerations regarding the protection of pupils remain relevant.

“Similarly, the panel considers that public confidence in the profession could be seriously weakened if conduct such as that found against Ms Harrison were not treated with the utmost seriousness when regulating the conduct of the profession.”

In October 2011 Ms Harrison was detained indefinitely for treatment under the Mental Health Act and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years at Ipswich Crown Court.

She had admitted three offences of sexually touching a girl aged under 16 and engaging in sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust.

The school where Ms Harrison worked cannot be named to protect the victim’s identity