Carey Grammar teacher Eleanor Yorke stood down following investigations by the school

A year 12 teacher at the prestigious Carey Grammar has had her position terminated after a probe into her conduct regarding “professional boundaries”.

Carey Grammar teacher Eleanor Yorke has been stood down.

Eleanor Yorke has been named as the Carey Grammar teacher stood down over her interactions with a year 12 student some years ago.

On Thursday the school’s principal Jonathan Walter said the Victorian Institute of Teaching had advised him that Ms Yorke was no longer permitted to teach. Following investigations by the school, her position has been terminated.

However, she is not subject to an ongoing police investigation.

Ms Yorke, a year 12 chemistry and biology teacher and head of Hickman House, left the Kew school suddenly nearly two weeks ago.

Mr Walter wrote to parents telling them the school “recently received a report regarding Ms Yorke’s compliance with the School’s expectations regarding professional boundaries. This report concerned her interactions with a Year 12 student some years ago”.

“Upon becoming aware of the concerns, the School immediately implemented its student protection framework; this includes Ms Yorke being stood down whilst the matter is investigated. I can also indicate the School’s understanding that whilst a mandatory report has been made to Victoria Police, the police are not pursuing an investigation at this time,” he wrote.

Ms Yorke was a year 12 chemistry and biology teacher at Carey. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

“As you will appreciate, there are a range of legal, practical and privacy considerations that continue to inform the School’s actions as we work through a thorough process. Based on the information which the School has already gathered, I have made the decision to terminate Ms Yorke’s employment.

“This decision was not taken lightly, but in my view was necessary to demonstrate the seriousness with which the School treats the professional responsibilities of all staff who support our students,” Mr Walter wrote.

“The School will now continue with its investigations, including making any further reports required by law.”

The Herald Sun understands Ms Yorke wrote a personal letter which was sent to all staff, including those in non-teaching roles, confirming that she was the teacher involved in the suspension.

Ms Yorke was a popular young teacher who wrote in a school publication that she felt very grateful to have been welcomed into the Carey Grammar community after doing her final placement at the school as part of her Masters of Teaching at the University of Melbourne.

“I’ve been lucky to have done a range of amazing things: I have spent a vomit-inducing week on a tall ship with students battling the wild Tasman seas and I have travelled overseas on a community service trip where I met individuals with boundless generosity and witnessed, first-hand, students undergoing life-changing experiences,” she wrote.

One past student from the school said Ms Yorke was “sweet” and “well-liked”.

It comes after several teachers have faced suspension this year including Davide Colombo, 26, who taught at Warrandyte Primary.

Geelong private school teacher Cameron Fennell, who was recently employed as a year 9 co-ordinator at Geelong Lutheran College, was also suspended on an interim basis on March 2.

In another case, Mark Scherf, who played for the Diamond Valley Eagles and most recently taught physical education at Mill Park Secondary College last year, was suspended on an interim basis last month.

In 2021-22 – the latest figures available – the Victorian Institute of Teaching resolved more than 3700 reassessments of disclosable court outcomes.

It also refused the registration of 37 applicants who had serious conduct matters.

The VIT also suspended the registration of 20 teachers on an interim basis who posed an “unacceptable risk of harm to children”.

Ms Yorke’s name has not yet been removed from the list of registered teachers but it is expected to happened this week.