Andrew Peacock was a deputy head of department at Hetton Academy when he was seen naked in a residential area of Tyneside
Ellison Street in Hebburn, where maths teacher Andrew Peacock went for a late night naked walk(Image: Google)
A North East maths teacher who claimed to be a naturist was spotted naked in the street by pubgoers in Hebburn. Andrew Peacock, who had been deputy head of department at Hetton Academy, did not appear at a public disciplinary hearing at which he was accused of bringing the profession into disrepute following a nude walk heading towards the River Tyne.
He was accused of four allegations at a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) hearing. This comes after he accepted a police caution for a public order offence – namely causing harassment, alarm or distress – the tribunal was told.
Mr Peacock had accepted that he was found naked in a residential area – Ellison Street in Hebburn – by two members of the public who reported this to the police. They, the tribunal heard, told the police Mr Peacock had then got into his parked car and “driven up and down” the street, causing them to feel the need to hide.
At the virtual hearing on Thursday February 5, TRA case presenter Leah Redden laid out the allegations. They were that he had been naked in a public place on the November 11, 2023, that he had been arrested but failed to inform anyone at the school about this, that his conduct constituted a criminal offence and he had accepted a caution, and that his conduct was dishonest.
The tribunal panel found each offence proven, and also found that Mr Peacock’s actions had constituted misconduct and may bring the profession into disrepute. The panel will now decide whether to recommend a teaching ban is imposed by the Secretary of State for Education.
During the hearing Ms Redden told the panel how Mr Peacock had been deputy head of maths at Hetton Academy from 2022 to 2024 when he resigned prior to an internal disciplinary hearing. He had been employed there since 2013.
Ms Redden added: “He was arrested [over his] nakedness in a public place on November 11, 2023. The circumstances were he was spotted by two members of the public, seeing he was naked in a residential area.”
She added that: “It is [Mr Peacock’s] position that he is a naturist and had been delivering food in the local area before deciding to go for a walk by the river.” The teacher claimed to have spent less than a minute outdoors – returning towards his car when he heard a voice – the panel heard.
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Hetton Academy Principal Vicky Pinkney gave evidence, telling the panel that Mr Peacock had not taken the opportunity to inform her of his arrest over a period of more than a week. The school only found out about this when the local authority designated officer (LADO) contacted her. At this stage Mr Peacock was called to a meeting and a disciplinary investigation began.
Ms Pinkney told the panel that she had serious concerns about the impact of Mr Peacock’s behaviour. She said: “He seemed to think that he was a naturist and it didn’t affect school and that it was acceptable for him to be out and about without his clothes on. I was quite shocked – as I did think it affects school.”
She told the panel she was not aware of any school pupils living in the relevant area of Hebburn – but that a member of staff did live nearby, and that she knew some pupils did attend school via taxi from places further afield. The principal added that there had been no previous concerns about Mr Peacock though he had experienced periods of absence from school.”
Hetton Academy(Image: Google)
Asked about the quality of his teaching, he added: “He was an okay teacher, results were not always where perhaps they should have been but we were working to develop that.”
In her closing statement for the TRA, Ms Redden recalled the evidence of a witness who saw an unclothed Mr Peacock. She said: “She felt panicked and terrified. She did not know what he was planning on doing. He made her think twice about being out at night.”
Ms Redden added there were a number of residential houses facing the street and said: “It is clear that he was in a residential area and did not park as close to the river as he possibly could have. He would have been aware that to get to the river he would have had to walk past those houses.”
She added that Mr Peacock contends his actions were a “simple act of naturism” but in the TRA’s view “it was rather an act which constituted a criminal offence, corroborated by witnesses, who felt they had to hide, fearing they were followed”.
The tribunal panel – Carl Lygo, Suhel Ahmed and Beverley Williams – found all four allegations proven. In announcing the decision, Mr Lygo explained details of evidence the panel had been provided with including witness statements from the police investigation and disciplinary hearing, along with Mr Peacock’s video-taped police interview.
Mr Lygo cited the police witness statements adding: “The police report states that at the time Mr Peacock was stopped in his car, [the officer] noticed Mr Peacock had a grey hoody placed over his lap and his bare legs were showing.”
Mr Lygo recapped that Mr Peacock had accepted being naked but had claimed to have “taken reasonable steps” to avoid being seen. The panel chair also explained that in his evidence to the TRA and the school disciplinary hearing, Mr Peacock had claimed that he had accepted the police caution to “avoid attracting media attention” and to protect the school’s reputation.
The teacher had claimed not to have known that he needed to tell his school about the arrest – but the panel did not accept this application. Mr Lygo said that in Mr Peacock’s police interview he had denied seeking to be seen, intending to alarm anyone, or seeking sexual gratification.
Referring to the charge of Mr Peacock not informing his superiors about the arrest, Mr Lygo continued, adding: “As an experienced teacher, Mr Peacock would have been familiar with his responsibilities around safeguarding.”
Mr Lygo added: “His behaviour amounted to misconduct and fell significantly short of the standards expected from the profession. He was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct.”
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