A former assistant head at Falmouth School has taken the stand and denied he had historic inappropriate and sexual relationships with underage pupils.

However, Terence Burke, aged 74, admitted he was “deeply ashamed” and “embarrassed” after getting one pupil to give him a kiss and a hug, which he said was "stupid”.

He told the court the action was not sexual and he had merely meant to comfort the girl because she was upset. He said he immediately realised what he had done was wrong and texted her later to apologise if he had embarassed her.

Burke is currently on trial charged with a range of sexual offences against girls under 16 including four charges of incitement to commit an act of gross indecency, five charges of indecent assault, two charges of sex with a girl under 16, three charges of sexual activity with a girl under 16, abusing a position of trust and two charges of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity whilst in a position of trust.

Burke, who lives in Swindon, denies all the charges.

Answering questions from his barrister on Monday (July 10), Burke told Truro Crown Court that he and his sister had grown up in Harlesden, London with his mum and dad in a two room property with a kitchen but no bathroom.

He said they were poor but not disadvantaged. They eventually moved to a council house in Hemel Hempstead where his family’s life changed for the better.

He and his sister went to the local grammar school and his experiences there shaped him, after he felt alienated by the treatment of his sister by the school when she became pregnant and was asked to leave with no support. The only thing he enjoyed was football.

However two teachers had inspired him to get his A-levels and he ended up going to Cambridge University where he got a 2:1 in history before training to be a teacher. He worked in a few teaching roles before getting a job as head of Falmouth School’s history department in 1973.

He said when he arrived at Falmouth School he thought it was going to be a pleasant place to work but it wasn’t. He said it was a very tough school to come to. It had recently gone comprehensive with the merger of a girl’s high school, Falmouth Grammar School and a secondary modern.

He said this caused splits in the staffroom with three different groups of staff and there was a lot of “bitterness” in the teaching of the children. He said boys were regularly caned for misbehaviour and hit around the head.

He said he determined that would never happen in his department and told his staff they were not to discipline the children like that.

“I said I was not going to run it that way and changed the way it was run,” he said. “I wanted the children who studied history to be treated with respect not punished. I wanted them to enjoy history. I wanted respectful communication with the teachers and school.”

Burke said he tried to be supportive and encouraging to pupils and used humour a lot as well. He said he had heard people describe him as being more like a social worker than a teacher.

“My style was more informal than other teachers. I believed in getting to know students closely,” he said.

He told the court he was still married to his wife of 53 years.

Earlier the court heard how he had already been investigated by police years earlier after allegations of being inappropriate with one pupil were made against him.

This led to accusations of inappropriate behaviour with other pupils. However the case against him had been dropped with no further action taken. He was subject to disciplinary procedure at Falmouth School but resigned before a decision was made. 

Later one of the girls went to the police and he was arrested again and charged.

READ MORE: 

Retired teacher shares concerns in trial of ex Falmouth School deputy head

Former deputy head alleged to have groomed pupils

Burke is accused of having sexual relations with two pupils before they were 16.

He is also accused of inappropriate behaviour with another whilst in a position of trust.

The court was told he asked for - and received - a kiss and a hug whilst they were on their own in his car. She later described it as like being kissed by her grandfather.

He also sent her hundreds of text messages and gave her money to top up her mobile phone so he could speak to her. At one time when his wife was away for the weekend visiting one of their two children he invited the girl round his house for a meal and to drink wine.

He admits having an “affair” with one pupil but denies they did anything until after her sixteenth birthday.

During his interviews with police he read a prepared statement denying he had sexual intentions towards the girls.

The trial continues.