Teachers at Bishop Bell school were repeatedly told by pupils about the illicit affair but Jeremy Forrest was able to carry on unhindered.
It is another shameful chapter in a history of questionable judgement by the school over the sexual abuse of children.
Last month a retired priest was jailed for 10 years for historic sex offences in the 1960 and 70s.
Canon Gordon Rideout, now 74, had been allowed to remain as chair of the school governors for more than a year after the allegations first came to light in 2010 and despite being suspended by the Church of England.
He was accused of 35 indecent assaults and two attempted rapes over an 11 year period. None of the alleged attacks were at the school.
In February 2009 teaching assistant Robert Healy was jailed for seven years after admitting grooming and sleeping with two girls aged 15 and 16 in 2007 and 2008.
In the Forrest trial, pupils told how they had warned teachers about the maths teacher and his favourite student, then aged 14.
One even said that she was told “not to think such a crazy thing.”
The girl used to arrive in school early for kissing sessions with Forrest in the classroom. She herself said that she was amazed she was never questioned by a teacher who saw her there repeatedly.
Daily she used to wait in the corridor outside Forrest’s office for a moment to pop in. This area was covered by CCTV but again nothing was suspected.
With rumours sweeping the school, Forrest was formally and informally questioned but his vehement denials were always believed.
Police were finally alerted by a tip-off from outside the school and seized the girl’s mobile phone after being told it contained intimate photos of the teacher.
But the court heard that detectives told senior school staff they had not found any evidence and had decided not to examine Forrest’s mobile.
Hours later the pair absconded. It was only later police found the damning picture on the girl’s mobile of Forrest in his boxer shorts but by then the pair were in France.
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