A drama teacher has been banned from the classroom indefinitely after taking a female pupil to the West End to watch Matilda before having sex with her in a hotel.

Sarah Barton, 37, admitted to having sex with the girl in a hotel after arranging a trip to the theatre in London to watch the beloved Roald Dahl play.

The teacher at Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School for Girls, 37, has been told she will never teach again after admitting 12 allegations of misconduct at a teacher disciplinary panel.

The panel heard that Barton had struck up a friendship with the girl in the academic year 2015/2016.

Soon the pair were regularly meeting in private and Barton told friends of a liaison she had with the pupil in her car and in fields.

Mark Tweedle, chair of the misconduct panel, said: '[A witness] states that you told her you had sex in your car with [the pupil] and it is a natural inference that this happened after you had [her] picked up in your car.

He concluded: 'On balance, we find this allegation proved.'

Despite being warned by friends, Barton then took the youngster to the theatre last June and spent the night in a hotel.

He added: 'Regardless of who actually organised this trip to Matilda, it took place in June 2016 when your relationship with [the pupil] had been developing for some time. This was clearly inappropriate.'

Mr Tweedle added: '[The witness] states that you had told her that you had had sex with [the pupil] in your car and in fields.'

Barton admitted that she had failed to maintain boundaries and abused her position of trust by having an inappropriate relationship with the pupil by contacted her by telephone, meeting her at school and kissing.

She admitted to taking the pupil to see the musical Matilda in London during half term, booking a hotel and having sex with the her.

Barton worked as a drama teacher at the Essex school from 2007 to 2016 before becoming head of department for drama and dance, the panel heard.

Mr Tweedle concluded: 'Whilst there was no evidence that Mrs Barton's actions began in any deliberate manner, in light of the length of time that the relationship developed and the emotional benefit gained by Mrs Barton, the panel had to conclude there was planning by her to some degree.

'There were numerous opportunities for the relationship to be terminated by her. This was a sexually motivated relationship that continued despite warnings from her colleagues. It was not a one-off spontaneous event.'

Alan Meyrick, who decides on teacher misconduct cases on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, said: 'In my view a five year review period is proportionate and in the public interest.

'I am therefore taking the decision to impose a prohibition order with a provision for an application to be made to set the order aside after a minimum of five years.

'This means that Mrs Sarah Barton is prohibited from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England.'

An NSPCC spokesman said: “As a teacher, Barton was trusted by pupils, parents, her school and the local community to put pupils’ welfare first. Instead she abused their trust for her own sexual gratification.

“Teachers play a vital role in safeguarding and it is therefore right that she is banned from a profession which would have seen her working in close proximity and having contact with children on a daily basis.”

The school was not available for a comment