Why a Star Teacher from Educating Yorkshire Was Banned—and Won’t Return for the Reboot

Ever have that moment when you’re rewatching an old favorite and think, “Wait, where’d that teacher go?” Well, as Channel 4’s Educating Yorkshire jumps back into our living rooms after 12 long years (I know, right?—I feel ancient), one classroom mentor is getting a hard pass from the reboot—and not because their lessons were boring. If school drama and heartfelt comebacks thrill you, just wait till you hear which figure from the 2013 season is officially off the roll, for reasons that are… let’s just say, not fit for assembly. It’s got all the twists—nostalgia, scandal, and a reminder that some schoolyard legends shouldn’t be allowed near the whiteboard again. Ready to pass notes about it? LEARN MORE

A particular teacher from Educating Yorkshire won’t appear in the reboot after being banned from the profession.

Oh, yeah, you read that right; the popular Channel 4 show is finally back.

It’s been 12 years since Educating Yorkshire first landed on our screens with its drama, chaos and sweet moments.

Back in 2013, the second series of the Educating string of shows took us up north and introduced the UK to two now-legends, Musharaf Asghar and Mr Burton.

Having won all our hearts for helping Mushy work through his stammer, the English teacher is returning for the show’s new series. Only, he’s now the head teacher at Thornhill Community Academy.

But one teacher from back in 2013 certainly won’t be appearing.

We’ll never forget Mushy and Mr Burton. (Channel 4)

Neil Giffin was in the award-winning series, having moved to the West Yorkshire school in 2012 and worked as head of humanities.

However, in 2015 the National College for Teaching and Leadership found the then-35-year-old to have engaged in sexual relations with former pupils from his old school.

Giffin admitted relationships with ex students from Bishop Heber High School in Malpas, Cheshire, between 2007 and 2008. He had worked there between 2003 and 2012.

Having been suspended by Thornhill on 24 January 2014, he ended up resigning on 14 April that year, with his indefinite ban from teaching coming in January 2015.

The panel found he had sex with Pupil D when she was over 18 years old, having started a relationship with her after the Year 13 summer ball when she finished at the school.

Giffin had used pseudonyms ‘Guy Andre’, ‘Frank Shepard’, ‘Alan Shepard’ and ‘Chelsea Smith’ on Facebook, where he told one former Bishop Heber pupil that he was jealous of her because she ‘looked good in tights’ and he wanted to wear them.

He was banned from teaching indefinitely. (Channel 4)

During a Thornhill Academy investigation into his conduct, the teacher said in an interview that relationship had lasted ‘about six months’.

It was also found that he’d slept with Pupil E but the relationship wasn’t proved inappropriate due to there being no evidence she had been at Bishop Heber when Giffin was teaching there.

Having messaged a number of students, it was deemed that his actions were ‘sexually motivated’ as he said he’d used the false names because he ‘didn’t want them to know who was looking at them’.

Giffin also said that he’d been drinking alcohol at the time he’d sent some of them.

Educating Yorkshire returns on Sunday (31 August) at 8pm on Channel 4.