Assistant housemaster at £51,000-a-year private school who stroked female pupil's hair and sent her late night emails is banned from teaching

By JAMES FIELDING, SENIOR REPORTER Published: 10:35, 9 July 2026 | Updated: 10:45, 9 July 2026 A PE teacher has been banned from the profession after stroking a pupil's hair and sending her a series of late night emails. Sammy Laurent, 29, an assistant housemaster at King Edward's School in Surrey, was sacked after failing to 'maintain professional boundaries' when he developed a 'very inappropriate' and overly 'familiar' relationship with a female student. Mr Laurent, who worked at the private school which costs up to £51,000-a-year between 2020 and 2023, messaged the student as late as 10.58pm and on weekends and holidays including on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. He also met up with and held late night Zoom calls with the pupil while he was off sick from work. And he took part in discussions with the student where she discussed how attractive others were.  The former Nottingham Trent University student failed to call out the conversation as inappropriate, instead responding: 'Hahahahahah, wow'. In the emails the student swore, called him by his first name and offered to give him gossip, while he provided relationship advice. Mr Laurent denied stroking the pupil's hair and claimed another colleague had given a group of students a hug in a busy cafe because they were upset they were unsuccessful in their application for head girl. Sammy Laurent (pictured) has been banned from teaching after stroking a pupil's hair and sending her a series of late night emails But a tribunal saw CCTV footage which showed him doing so. The panel said it proved his actions were 'intimate' and in breach of his safeguarding and responsibilities.  He was seen approaching a table in a cafe and stroking the pupil's hair before placing his right hand on her shoulder. He then walked away before returning to the table, putting both of his hands on her shoulders, leaning over her and causing her to look up at him. Mr Laurent then stroked the right side of her hair with his right hand and patted her right shoulder. A witness said the pupil 'was visibly upset and Sammy Laurent was rubbing her back, arms and shoulders. It seemed very inappropriate and intimate'. The pair were later seen meeting in a common room area by themselves. A witness said it was 'strange' because the teacher was supposed to be sick on that day. They said he 'shouldn't be here', adding: 'I wouldn't ever talk to a child with a door closed or without anyone else being around.' Another witness claimed he treated the school's email account like WhatsApp and said the conversations 'seemed to portray a relationship that has become too familiar'. Mr Laurent, a keen hockey player, cricketer and sports coach, was described as an inexperienced teacher with 'good albeit misplaced intentions' by a union representative. Laurent was sacked after failing to 'maintain professional boundaries' when he developed a 'very inappropriate' and overly 'familiar' relationship with a female student  He first attended a meeting with the school in March 2022 to discuss concerns surrounding his email communications with the pupil.  That December matrons raised concern over his relationship with the child because they saw them alone together in the boarding house. Three female pupils expressed concerns about his behaviour to a teacher in March 2023 before a teacher raised safeguarding concerns. Mr Laurent lived in a boarding house at the school and was told to leave the site but stayed the night in June 2023.  Less than two weeks later another colleague reported concerns about his behaviour with a pupil. A spokesperson for King Edward's School said: 'We welcome the panel's findings. 'After safeguarding concerns were identified in this case they were addressed through the school's safeguarding and disciplinary processes, with the school working closely with the relevant external agencies throughout.'