Natasha Blackmore, who was head of design and technology at Westfield Academy in Yeovil, Somerset, has been banned from teaching after sharing ‘inappropriate details’ about her personal life with pupils

13:21, 06 Apr 2026Updated 17:04, 06 Apr 2026

Westfield Academy on Stiby Road in Yeovil(Image: Google Maps)

A teacher from Somerset has been banned from the classroom after sharing “inappropriate details” about her personal life with pupils.

Natasha Blackmore, who was head of design and technology at Westfield Academy in Yeovil, met regularly with a small group of pupils and confided about her relationships and personal life, including being drunk on a hen night.

The 36-year-old was found to have spent excessive time with one or more pupils. She admitted discussing breakups and new partners, as well as sharing details of her social life, including drinking, vaping and smoking on nights out. She also showed pupils text messages in which she referred to someone in derogatory terms, Somerset Live reports.

A professional conduct panel found that Ms Blackmore “fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession”.

The Teaching Regulation Agency ruling said that up to five pupils would visit Ms Blackmore during breaks and lunchtimes, with one pupil saying she treated them as friends rather than students.

The panel also found she allowed one or more pupils to contact her via her personal social media account, exchanged messages with pupils on group chats and arranged a meeting with them during school holidays.

Ms Blackmore admitted unacceptable professional conduct and/or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. She also admitted failing to maintain professional boundaries with pupils.

Pupil A said she initially thought everything was fine, but “some kind of weird relationship” developed in which they shared “everything”.

Another said four pupils would sit with Ms Blackmore at every break and lunch in her room. She said the conversations were about “how our day has been, behaviour, their home life, friends, arguments. The normal”, according to the report. Ms Blackmore became more of a friend they shared a bond with. “She knows a lot about us, we are up there all the time”, one pupil said.

Ms Blackmore said the pupils had supported her following the death of her dog. She said their conversations had been general in nature such as “what they got up to at the weekend”. She said: “If it hadn’t been for those students and the support they showed me after I lost [REDACTED], I don’t think I would have come back to work properly due to the way I was feeling.”

Ms Blackmore admitted joining a pupils’ group chat on Instagram and meeting pupils at Yeovil Recreational Centre with her dog. The meeting breached the staff code of conduct, the panel found. One parent said they had never suspected anything inappropriate and described Ms Blackmore as “a really good teacher”.

The report said: “The panel was satisfied that the conduct of Ms Blackmore amounted to misconduct of a serious nature which fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession. Accordingly, the panel was satisfied that Ms Blackmore was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct.”

It added Ms Blackmore had demonstrated insight into her actions, acknowledging she had “blurred lines of what classes as professional within the classroom and keeping the student and teacher rapport appropriate within the school setting”.

She said she was “fully aware of where she went wrong” and the support she should have sought. She said she is now in a much better position and fully understands how unprofessional her actions were.

Ms Blackmore said: “I apologise for my actions, to all involved, and I really do hope the students that were involved are in a good place, mentally and emotionally, and I haven’t caused issues which could affect them in a deeper way.”

The panel noted that there was no evidence that the pupils had been harmed by Ms Blackmore’s actions. It recommended to the Secretary of State that Ms Blackmore be given a prohibition order, with a review period of two years. This bans her from teaching indefinitely, though she can apply to have the order lifted in 2028.