'Six-Inch' Text to Student Gets Chef Lecturer Mark Robertson Life Ban by EWC

'Six-Inch' Text to Student Gets Chef Lecturer Mark Robertson Life Ban by EWC

The former Coleg Cambria chef lecturer, Mark Robertson, was given a Prohibition Order by the Education Workforce Council (EWC) on October 22, 2025, resulting in an indefinite ban from teaching.

The EWC found he committed unacceptable professional conduct with several learners, critically including a sexually suggestive "six-inch" social media message to a teenage student.

The educator's defence, claiming the remark was an innocent reference to the animated movie Ratatouille (a "tiny chef" rat), was conclusively rejected by the panel.

This final, permanent sanction was heavily influenced by a prior 2019 written warning, confirming a serious failure to maintain professional boundaries.

The Scandalous List: Misconduct Allegations Found Proven

The notorious "six-inch" text was merely one element in a troubling catalogue of behaviour that demonstrated a systematic breach of teacher-student boundaries.

The EWC findings confirm that Mr. Robertson cultivated an unprofessional and highly suggestive environment, raising urgent questions about safeguarding in further education.

• Sexually Suggestive Messaging: The chef lecturer sent a private, late-evening Instagram message to a learner, deemed inappropriate and unprofessional by the committee, directly asking her about his "pocket size" self.
• Inappropriate Physical Contact: Proven allegations include moving students by their waist, asking a female learner to feel his muscles, and on multiple occasions, pulling and playing with a learner's hair.
• Offensive Verbal Remarks: Robertson made comments to learners about "friends with benefits," called one student "punching" (insinuating their partner was better looking), and told another their appearance made them look like a "12-year-old."
• Aggravating Factor: The disciplinary action was significantly escalated by the discovery that Mr. Robertson had previously received a formal written warning in 2019 for engaging in inappropriate communication with a separate learner, proving a clear failure to heed professional instruction.

The EWC Presenting Officer emphasized that the nature of the communication, sent privately and late at night, meant the panel could only conclude it was wholly inappropriate and crossed a fundamental professional line.

Why 'Digital Footprint' Means a Lifetime Ban

This Education Workforce Council Wales decision marks a critical milestone for legal compliance for teachers, stressing that professional responsibilities extend into a teacher’s private digital life.

The Prohibition Order means Mr. Robertson’s name has been permanently removed from the register, preventing him from teaching in any regulated capacity indefinitely.

The EWC, which has the legal power to investigate and hear cases of unacceptable professional conduct, is mandated to uphold public trust and confidence in the teaching profession.

When an educator uses a private, non-official platform like Instagram to initiate personal dialogue with a learner, they inherently violate established safeguarding protocols, making the breach of professional boundaries indisputable and egregious.

The key legal principle in this case is that an educator's personal communication carries the full weight of their professional role, a distinction that must be maintained with students at all times.

The EWC found his behaviour was indeed sexual in nature, severely violating the fundamental principle of Personal and Professional Responsibility detailed within the EWC’s Code of Conduct.

The final decision provides no opportunity for re-application to the teaching register, ensuring the ex-lecturer’s digital footprint of misconduct results in a career-ending consequence, serving as a powerful deterrent against social media misconduct.