A former PE teacher at Mill Hill School who grabbed his colleagues’ bottoms will not be barred from the profession. 

Liam Oakes faced a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) professional conduct panel after he repeatedly made advances towards two female colleagues at a Mill Hill School staff party on July 1, 2021. 

Mr Oakes repeatedly asked one colleague "do you want to come home with me”, persisting despite her rejections.

He also stroked her face, tried to hold her hand and grabbed her bottom. 

Then, when they returned to the school from a pub, he tried to follow her into the toilet, the panel was told. 

“Whilst in the toilet, Mr Oakes started knocking on the door asking to be let in and persisted to do so over a number of minutes, during which time, other staff members told Mr Oakes to leave,” the professional conduct report states. 

At the same staff party he also quizzed another female colleague about her sex life. 

He asked her “you must be really horny” and “when was the last time you had sex?”

When she walked away Oakes followed her, tried to grab her then put her in a headlock, the panel heard. 

She said that once he had let go she was in tears and decided to leave. 

The panel also heard about a previous incident in December 2019 when he shared a taxi back from a social event with a female colleague. 

During the taxi ride he repeatedly tried to hold her hand despite being told “that’s not happening”. 

The colleague allowed him to stay in the spare room but when inside the property Mr Oakes grabbed her bottom, forcing her to lock herself in her own room. 

Mr Oakes admitted the allegations fully and said his actions were “out of order”. 

But the TRA panel said the sexual misconduct was at the “lower end of seriousness” and decided that Mr Oakes should not be banned from the profession. 

Mr Oakes was dismissed from Mill Hill School in August 2021. 

A Mill Hill School spokesperson said: “Liam Oakes’ employment at Mill Hill School was terminated in August 2021 for inappropriate behaviour towards colleagues and the matter was referred to the TRA. There were no issues relating to his behaviour towards pupils.”