A former teacher from Essex convicted of a child sexual offence after sending explicit images and arranging to meet a child has been barred from the profession forever.

A Teaching Regulation Agency panel found the allegation against Oliver Ciaravella, formerly of Honywood Community School in Coggeshall, proven and imposed a prohibition order.

The panel considered the allegation that Ciaravella was guilty of having been convicted of a relevant offence.

Last year, Ciaravella admitted to sending explicit images online to someone he thought was a 15-year-old boy and arranging to meet him for sex.

But the account was controlled by a vigilante who passed details of the meeting to police.

The regulation agency panel met on October 25, 2021, to consider Ciaravella’s case.

According to the panel report, he provided a signed statement of agreed facts and admitted a conviction of a relevant offence.

The report also said Mr Ciaravella showed a “lack of insight and remorse” over his actions.

A spokesperson for Honywood School said in a statement: “Mr Oliver Ciaravella is no longer a member of staff at Honywood.

“He was suspended from his duties at school in September 2017, on the day that the allegation came to light, and did not return to the school or engage in any work on behalf of the school after that point.

“His conviction is not linked to the school in any way.

“Since the start of this incident the school fully cooperated with the police investigation and the local authority.

“Throughout this period the school has followed the guidance and advice of the police and the local authority designated safeguarding officer.

“Safeguarding is taken extremely seriously at Honywood; there are robust policies and procedures in place at the school which were acted upon immediately.

“We would like to make it very clear that no Honywood School pupil, past or present, was involved in the charges."

Mr Ciaravella is now prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England.

He also cannot apply for restoration of his eligibility to teach, according to the report.

The panel accepted a request from Ciaravella that the allegations be considered without a hearing.

Honywood School employed Mr Ciaravella as a subject leader from September 1, 2010.

In September 2017, he contacted someone who posed as a 15-year-old boy on the dating app Grindr, sent sexual messages and explicit images and arranged to meet up with him, the report said.

He was arrested for grooming and travelling to meet a child for a sexual purpose and was suspended from work on September 21 2017, the day after his arrest.

Ciaravella was given an 18-month community order, meaning he had to undertake a sex offender programme and a 20-day rehabilitation requirement, ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid work, pay £500 towards court costs and given a a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.