A primary school headteacher who was jailed after arranging to meet someone he thought was 14-years-old is set to be banned from the profession for life.

James Shawley was the headteacher of St Bartholomew's Primary School at West Pinchbeck, near Spalding, near Stamford, from 2016 until his arrest in 2019.

The "outstanding" teacher was caught in a sting operation in which he sexted with a covert police officer.

Shawley was jailed for four-and-a-half years at Lincoln Crown Court in 2021.

A hearing will be held by the Teaching Regulation Agency on 30 January 2023, with the power to bar him from teaching once he is released.

The public will be able to observe proceedings virtually.

The TRA's website says: "Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with The Teachers' Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012, a professional conduct panel has been convened to consider the case of Mr James Shawley, formerly employed in Lincolnshire, East Midlands."

Shawley was placed on the sex offenders register for life and given a 15 year sexual harm prevention order.

He was described in court as an excellent headteacher who raised the standards of every school he worked at.

The jury was told that Shawley sent sexually explicit messages to a 'boy' who said he was 14 years old.

He then arranged to meet him at a cinema in Huntington with the intention of having sex with him.

In his defence, Shawley, then 45 and living in Sheffield, said he believed the boy was lying about his age and was over 18.

Judge Catarina Sjolin Knigh said this was "wholly implausible" and he knew the importance of protecting children as a headteacher.

He denied two charges of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and further charges of attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child and attempting to facilitate or arrange a child sex offence.

The jury returned guilty verdicts on all charges after just 90 minutes.