A teacher from Greater Manchester has been permanently struck off the teaching register after being jailed for sexual offences against two of her pupils.
Conviction and Sentencing
Rebecca Joynes, a 31-year-old from Salford, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison in July 2024. A jury at Manchester Crown Court found her guilty on multiple counts of sexual activity with a child. The charges related to two male pupils, referred to in court as Boy A and Boy B.
On 17 May 2024, Joynes was convicted of two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a boy aged between 13 and 15. She was also found guilty of two counts of non-penetrative sexual activity with a boy in the same age bracket. Furthermore, she was convicted of two counts of sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust, relating to a boy aged between 13 and 17.
A Pattern of Abuse and Grooming
The court heard how the abuse began with Boy A after she set him a challenge to guess the last digits of her phone number, leading to contact on Snapchat. The pair subsequently had unprotected sex on two occasions. When the boy's mother discovered the relationship, she confronted the school, leading to Joynes's suspension.
While on bail with a condition of no unsupervised contact with under-18s, Joynes began a relationship with a second victim, Boy B, who was 16 at the time. He contacted her via Snapchat to ask how she was. Joynes later took his virginity at her flat in Salford Quays. The teenager told police they had regular sex, often unprotected, while he was still a school pupil, describing it as a 'friends with benefits' arrangement.
Despite telling Boy B she could not get pregnant, Joynes later conceived his child. In a manipulative gesture, she planned a 'date night' involving an Ann Summers scratchcard and led him to a babygrow labelled 'Best Dad'. The relationship continued for approximately 18 months, persisting after the victim turned 18.
Permanent Teaching Ban and Panel Findings
Following a hearing by the Teaching Regulation Agency, a professional misconduct panel has now prohibited Joynes from teaching indefinitely. The ban, enacted in December 2025, means she cannot teach in any school, sixth-form college, youth accommodation, or children's home in England. She is not entitled to apply for restoration of her eligibility to teach, though she retains a right to appeal to the High Court within 28 days.
The panel stated her crimes 'involved repeated serious sexual misconduct towards children' and noted the profound impact on her victims. It highlighted that the offences against Boy B were committed while she was on bail for those against Boy A, demonstrating 'scant regard for the seriousness of her actions'. The ruling added that 'there was no evidence of insight, remorse or remediation from Ms Joynes'.
During her trial, Joynes denied the offences concerning Boy A. She claimed her relationship with Boy B only became sexual after he turned 16 and left school, which would have been legal. She told the court she had been 'lonely' and 'liked the attention'. The jury rejected her account.
Joynes gave birth to a son in early 2024, but the child was removed from her care hours later. At trial, she was criticised for a 'naked attempt to garner sympathy' after she appeared in court with a pink baby bonnet tucked into her trousers.
