Former JFS teacher convicted of child sex offences banned from the classroom

A former JFS teacher convicted of child sex offences has been banned from the classroom but spared jail.

Shovan Tamjidi was arrested in 2019 for possession of indecent images of children on his personal computer. On advice from the Metropolitan Police, he was suspended by the school shortly after, and convicted of three counts of making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children.

A professional conduct panel ruled the teacher, who worked at Europe’s largest Jewish secondary for four years until his suspension, is “prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England”. Decision maker Sarah Buxcey also ruled that “in view of the seriousness of the allegation found proved against him, I have decided that Mr Tamjidi shall not be entitled to apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach.”

The panel outlined that in January 2020, “Tamjidi was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months with requirements to complete 30 days rehabilitation activity requirement and 180 hours unpaid work. He was also subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and required to sign the sex offenders register, both for a period of 10 years.”

Issuing its recommendations to the secretary of state, the panel said that “allowing for no review period” to a lifetime prohibition order (ban on teaching in schools) was “necessary to maintain public confidence and is proportionate and in the public interest.”

The school declined to comment.