A former teacher serving a prison sentence for sexually abusing two teenage pupils is now facing a permanent ban from the classroom. Rebecca Joynes, 31, was found guilty of 'unacceptable professional conduct' by a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel, a decision that paves the way for a lifetime prohibition from teaching.
The Crimes and Conviction
Rebecca Joynes received a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence in July at Manchester Crown Court after being convicted of six counts of sexual activity with a child. The offences involved two boys, both 15 at the time the abuse began, whom she met while working as a maths teacher at a Greater Manchester school.
The court heard how Joynes groomed one victim, known as Pupil A, by taking him to the Trafford Centre and buying him a £345 Gucci belt from Selfridges. She then took him back to her flat in Salford where sexual activity occurred.
While on bail for those offences, Joynes began a sexual relationship with a second pupil, Pupil B, which resulted in her becoming pregnant. She had told the teenager that becoming pregnant was 'almost impossible' due to a medical condition. The relationship continued, and she gave birth to his child.
The Professional Conduct Hearing
The remote professional conduct hearing, held on Thursday, 4 December, was told that Joynes had inflicted 'enormous damage' on her victims. Shirley Duckworth, presenting the case for the TRA, stated the convictions were 'of the utmost severity' and highlighted a 'significant abuse of trust'.
Joynes, who remains in prison, did not attend the hearing and had no representative. The panel heard she had shown a 'lack of engagement' with the process and had deleted the contents of her phone when the police investigation began.
Ms Duckworth described the gift of the Gucci belt as a 'manipulative form of flattery' and noted that the most serious aspect of the crimes against Pupil B was that they were committed while she was on bail. She also revealed that Joynes was sacked for gross misconduct in July 2022 following her initial court appearance.
Lasting Impact and Potential Lifetime Ban
The panel was told of the profound and lasting impact on the victims. A statement from Pupil B said, "I will forever be Rebecca's victim and will be forever be linked to her through our child." He described feeling 'coerced, controlled and sexually abused', and said the ordeal had torn his family apart.
Following the hearing, panel chairman Phil Thompson announced the panel had determined Joynes' conduct was 'unacceptable' and had 'brought the profession into disrepute'. Ms Duckworth argued that the only 'necessary and proportionate' action was for the Secretary of State for Education to impose a permanent prohibition order.
She stated Joynes' actions were 'fundamentally incompatible' with being a teacher and it was 'right to identify Miss Joynes as a paedophile'. The panel retired to consider its recommendation, which is expected to be forwarded to the government in the coming days.
Joynes, of Pensby Avenue, the Wirral, was found guilty after a trial where she denied the offences. She claimed nothing happened with Pupil B until he was 16 and after she was dismissed. The judge at her sentencing, Judge Kate Cornell, condemned her 'breathtaking arrogance'. Joynes will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
