Andrew Tonner, 47, was deputy headteacher at The Meadows School in Spennymoor when he downloaded a stash of sick pictures and videos involving children as young as two in November 2021.
Acting on intelligence police searched his home and he was found to have downloaded 10 category A images and 18 category A videos, four category B images, one category B video, and a category C image to his personal device.
The photos and videos featured kids ranging from two to 14 and one showed a child in pain and distress.
On September 21, 2022 he was convicted at Newcastle Magistrates Court of three counts of making indecent images of children and handed a suspended prison sentence.
A judge spared him jail due to his guilty plea, and he was also subject to a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.
Tonner, who started at the school in September 2012 and was dismissed in October 2022 after his sentencing, was also a safeguarding lead at the school at the time.
A teaching misconduct hearing last month met to consider whether he should be allowed to teach again.
It heard that Tonner had shown remorse for his actions and engaged in a number of rehab steps. The hearing was also told that at sentencing he was considered to be a low-risk of re-offending and previously had a good record and colleagues thought highly of him.
But the misconduct panel, chaired by Mrs Christine McLintock, decided he should be banned from the classroom for life.
Tonner will never be able to teach again, or be able to apply for his ban to be revoked.
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Jim Murray, head of education and skills at Durham County Council, which is responsible for the running of The Meadows, said: “We absolutely do not tolerate behaviour of this nature and welcome the outcome of this ruling.
“We can assure parents and carers that the misconduct hearing did not relate to the school and relevant safeguarding procedures were followed as soon as we were made aware of the allegations.
“Andrew Tonner was suspended from his employment immediately. He was then formally dismissed following a disciplinary hearing once criminal proceedings had ended.”