An award-winning former school assistant head who appeared in a Channel 4 show is due in court accused of sexual assault and having indecent images of children. Gareth Ritter, 43, was assistant head and music teacher at Cardiff’s Willows High and also conductor of Ebbw Valley Brass Band.

He was known for his use of technology in the classroom, including motion capture technology, and won the 2013 Pearson award for innovative use of technology. The teacher was among staff to appear in the Channel 4 series Educating Cardiff which followed the highs and lows of life at Willows High School and also won two Microsoft Virtual Classroom Tour awards.

A Cardiff Council spokesman said: “The council is unable to comment until criminal proceedings are concluded.” An interim suspension order has been imposed by the Education Workforce Council (EWC). On its website the EWC lists an interim suspension order on Gareth John Ritter's registration on December 12, 2024. It says he is "ineligible for registration – subject to interim suspension order". You can get more story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.

Ebbw Valley Brass issued a statement saying the founding musical director and four-time Welsh conductor of the year had resigned from his position with them “due to personal reasons”. The band is advertising for someone to lead it.

When WalesOnline contacted Ritter he said he would not comment or confirm or deny he had resigned his position with the band. He would not comment on the criminal charges he faces.

Ritter appeared at Cardiff Magistrates' Court in November 2024 and his case will now go to trial at crown court. South Wales Police said in a statement: “Gareth Ritter from Monmouthshire appeared at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on November 5, 2024."

He is due to face trial at Cardiff Crown Court in November accused of sexual assault, two counts of making an indecent image of a child, and one count of distributing an indecent image of a child.

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