A female teacher jailed for having sex with a pupil has been banned from the classroom for life by watchdogs who ruled the public ‘would rightly be appalled’ by her behaviour.
Kandice Barber, 38, was jailed for six years and two months in 2021 after being convicted of grooming a 15-year-old and having sex with him in a field.
Teaching watchdogs have now revealed that a text from Barber to the boy said: ‘You cannot make me blush while I am teaching now, poker face lol.’
The panel noted her ‘grooming and sexual exploitation’ of him was later ‘followed by threats and manipulation, demonstrating a callous and selfish disregard for her pupil’s wellbeing’.
Despite this, Barber still protested her innocence and sent the misconduct panel a badly spelled note, saying: ‘Despite the convictions I have always proclaimed my innocentse [sic].’
Kandice Barber (pictured with estranged husband Daniel), now 38, was jailed for six years and two months in 2021 after being convicted of grooming a 15-year-old
During Barber’s fling with the boy, she shamelessly texted the teenager: ‘You cannot make me blush while I am teaching now, poker face lol’
Barber (pictured on her wedding day in 2015 with her former husband Daniel, from whom she became estranged) proclaimed her ‘innocentse’ in a note to the fitness to practise panel
The blonde teacher had bombarded the then 15-year-old boy with messages such as ‘do you like boobs or bum?’
The judge at her trial had called the mum of three ‘beyond despicable’ for seducing the boy with topless photos and explicit messages while teaching him at Princes Risborough School, Buckinghamshire.
The supply teacher from Wendover, Buckinghamshire, spotted her victim at a school sports day and added him on Snapchat to send flirty texts. She then bombarded him with messages including one where she asked him ‘Do you like boobs or bum?’
She sent him a photo of herself on a bed surrounded by sex toys and flirted with him by sending messages during a school assembly.
Barber even threatened her victim that she would ‘take him down’ if he told her bosses what had been going on.
The victim said the sexual assault took place between October 11, 2018, and immediately before the half term.
Ultimately, Barber’s shocking behaviour came to light after a topless picture she had sent her victim was seen by so many people it ended up on the headteacher’s desk.
She underwent two trials over the charges and was convicted of sending a topless picture of herself to the boy and a video in which she was pleasuring herself with a sex toy following the first trial in 2020.
In March 2021, she was found guilty of one count of causing or inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity.
After the second trial at Aylesbury Crown Court, recorder Bal Dhaliwal jailed Barber and said she had ‘acted in gross breach of trust’ and had taken ‘advantage of a child in your care and groomed him for your own sexual gratification’.
In August last year, exclusively revealed that Barber started a relationship with conwoman Jay Delaney (right) while they were both in an open women’s prison
Jay Delaney, 34, began a five-year term for her elaborate £388,000 fraud in April 2022
She bombarded the then 15-year-old pupil with messages, including one where she asked him ‘do you like boobs or bum?’
She told the teacher: ‘The victim was a 15-year-old boy in his final year at school. You had control and authority over him. He felt drawn in by you due to the compliments, you caused him to engage in sex with you while he was a pupil in your care.
‘You threatened to take him down with you if he reported it. You already had authority over him by virtue of your position but to use threats is beyond despicable.’
She broke up with her husband Daniel who, despite being by her side in court and giving evidence during the trial, left her for a new romance with a woman called Charlotte Smith. The pair have been dating for months and plan to start a family soon.
After Barber was jailed, Daniel posted a photo featuring a Superman T-shirt and kissing emoji alongside a caption saying ‘always’, and described the verdict as a ‘joke’ at the time.
He refused to believe his wife’s conviction for sending her victim a video of herself surrounded by sex toys. He argued the video had never been produced so he believed his wife’s denial – even though a jury had convicted her.
Mr Barber insisted to a jury at the time: ‘Our relationship is how it is today, it has never changed. We have always been good and we have always been strong.
‘When my wife is on the phone, I am not one of those people who constantly looks at her to see who she is on the phone to. I have full faith in her.’
Even after a spell behind bars, Barber was unable to escape notoriety. In August last year, it was reported she had struck up a relationship with convicted fraudster Jay Delaney, 34, after the pair met inside an open women’s prison.
She told friends she loved Delaney, who was jailed for five years in April 2022 after stealing her friends’ life savings to the tune of £388,000.
Barber, who was working on day release as a security guard at a construction site in Hounslow, was believed to be taking advantage of her less restricted regime to meet up with Delaney on her way to and from her job.
A source told The Sun they had been seen cuddling and holding hands on walks to and from work, and sneaking off for secret trysts.
They said: ‘Kandice is only allowed out to go to work – but she and her new partner have been meeting up in secret.
‘They’ve been meeting up on her way to work and her way home.
‘It’s frustrating that she’s still in prison but they’re now meeting up for, you know, ‘time together’ shall we say.
‘They’ve been taking pictures together and talking about their future together.’
It was reported that the pair took pictures of themselves outside London Bridge station and Maidstone East station, and asked permission to go on days out together, but these requests were denied.
Barber was banned from teaching for life after a damning report on her behaviour by watchdogs
School teacher Kandice Barber was jailed in March 2021 after being found guilty of having sex with a pupil. Pictured: Working in July as a security guardian at a building site in West London
Kandice Barber pictured leaving Aylesbury Crown Court, Buckinghamshire, with her husband Daniel in March 2021, after being convicted of two sex offences related to a 15-year-old pupil
After hearing of his wife’s new jailbird love last August, Mr Barber’s views of her had changed.
He told The Sun: ‘With everything that has come out about Kandice and her new girlfriend and how they have been meeting up, clearly shows the lack of respect Kandice has for the justice system, and everyone around her.
‘I have no feelings towards Kandice, she knew the consequences if she didn’t follow the rules.
‘She knew she would lose all of her privileges, but again Kandice has shown her true colours and who she really cares about.
‘It saddens me that I married this woman, because clearly I honestly didn’t know her.
‘She hid this very selfish side of herself and I never saw it while being in a relationship with her.
‘If you don’t follow the rules you should be punished.’
Susanne Staab, who chaired the Teaching Regulation Agency hearing, said: ‘In 2018, Ms Barber was 33 years old and working as a form tutor and cover supervisor at the school.
‘In 2019, police investigated an allegation that she had groomed a 15-year-old male pupil, had sex with him, and sent him sexual communications.
‘The sexual communications included a video of her engaging in sexual activity, and a message containing a sexual innuendo sent while they were both in school, during which Ms Barber referred to teaching him. Ms Barber was charged with three offences and pleaded not guilty.
Barber leaving Aylesbury Crown Court after being found guilty of two sex offence charges related to sending topless Snapchat pictures to a 15-year-old pupil
‘Following a trial, she was convicted, and on 28 January 2021 she was sentenced to a total of six years and two months in prison, and made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
‘In sentencing her, the trial judge noted that she had made threats to the child in order to prevent him from disclosing what had happened, and had sought to manipulate him.
‘The child had become withdrawn and confined himself to his room as a result.
‘She communicated with him in an inappropriate and sexually suggestive manner during the school day, while in class, sending him a message saying “You cannot make me blush while I am teaching now, poker face lol”.
‘The panel had no doubt that the public would have perceived Ms Barber as her victim’s teacher, and that her conduct towards him constituted a gross breach of trust and abuse of position.
‘Her grooming and sexual exploitation of him was followed by threats and manipulation, demonstrating a callous and selfish disregard for her pupil’s wellbeing. The public would rightly be appalled by her behaviour.
‘Ms Barber denied the allegation on the basis that she maintained her innocence of the offences for which she has been convicted, most recently saying in her response to the notice of proceedings: Despite the convictions I have always proclaimed my innocentse. [sic]’
Banning her from the profession for life, Sarah Buxcey, for the Education Secretary, said: ‘In my judgement, the lack of evidence of insight or remorse means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this puts at risk the future wellbeing of pupils. I have therefore given this element considerable weight in reaching my decision.
‘The panel decided that the public interest considerations outweighed the interests of Ms Barber. Her conduct was so egregious and harmful as to be fundamentally incompatible with her being allowed to teach in future.’
Barber has a right of appeal to the King’s Bench Division of the High Court within 28 days from the date she is given notice of this order.