The headteacher of a top private school has resigned in proitest after tens of thousands of pounds was paid to a governor.
Judy Nairn stunned staff and parents at the Bridgewater School in Worsley, Salford, by handing in her notice. She is understood to have resigned in protest over payments - thought to be about £40,000 - that were made over 12 months to James McGrath, the school's chair of governors.
Mr McGrath also works for the school as an education consultant.
Board members at the school - which has charity status - said Mr McGrath was hired to carry out specific services on top of his unpaid role as a governor.
They said that the money was properly spent – and that they had sought independent legal advice to ensure there was no conflict of interest.
The matter is now being examined by the Charity Commission.
Mrs Nairn has been a teacher at the school for 26 years, and headteacher since 2010. She had been on leave since Christmas.
Parents at the £9,000-a-year school were informed of her resignation in letters sent out today.
The school is attended by children of a number of celebrities, including former Coronation Street star Nick Cochrane, who played Andy McDonald.
Mr Cochrane, who has a seven-year-old girl and boy, 11, at the school, said: "In my experience the school is only as good as its headteacher."
Mr McGrath, a former deputy headteacher and school improvement advisor, was hired by the school to carry out coaching services in 2010.
He was appointed to the school’s governing body last year, later being appointed as a paid education consultant providing training, business planning, and curriculum development work.
In the letter to parents, the governors said: "Since the chairman’s role is a voluntary one, we also passed appropriate resolutions to create a role of educational consultant to the board and asked Mr McGrath to provide these services.
"The board remains clear that these services were necessary, distinct from the role of the chairman, actually provided and appropriately paid for."
Private schools are allowed to make payments to board members for certain services, under rules governed by charity law.
Members of the school’s senior leadership team wrote to governors to raise their concerns over the payments, which they claimed could undermine ‘the financial stability and security of the school’.
Their letter added: "There is a lack of clarification of role and specific duties of the educational consultant and the headteacher and senior leadership team.
"This has created a growing lack of understanding over the last eight months of who is running the school."
Both Mrs Nairn and Mr McGrath were unavailable for comment.
Andrew O’Brien, vice chair of governors, said: "The school has taken legal advice which confirms that the board has acted legally and in accordance with Charity Commission guidance."
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sounds very much like a case of the tail wagging the dog. although not against the rules for governing bodies to appoint members of the governing body, or their companies to do work for the school, surely there is a conflict of interest with a governor,and particularly the chair of governors taking up a role such as this and being paid a considerable sum to do so. it appears (from the wording of the article) that his appointment was a governing body decision rather than one of the schools management team and head teacher. As a governor, if you have a conflict of interest regarding certain subjects on the agenda, you are prevented from taking part in discussions or decisions regarding these items, and clearly, with such a role withing the school as a consultant, there must be many ocasions where there is a conflict of interest!
Ok folks, the story has broken, but our children and their teachers deserve a good day at school. The sooner things get back to normal, the better - and 100 parents last night want Mrs Nairn (and other staff embroiled in the situation) back asap. Neil Blower
The way that Mrs Nairn has been treated by the so called governers is a disgrace. My children go tho Bridgewater and Mrs Nairn has been a complete professional, her only focus has always been on the well being of the children so as parents we expect the whole board of governers to resign immediately, apologise to the victims of this disgrace and the school and immediately reinstate her so she can get back to doing the job she has done superbly for many years. The parents will not stand for this outrage. We must also not forget that the school burser has also been forced out because of the governers actions. So to the Governors of Bridgewater, do the right thing, RESIGN and REINSTATE MRs Nairn and the School burser immediately!!!!! Or watch the parents mobilise in support of Mrs Nairn!!
After attending Bridgewater School from The age of 3 to 18 and having ran my own charity I find this story sickening.
Mrs Nairn is a excellent teacher and head teacher and Bridgewater will fall to pieces without her, I am also positive she would not have resigned without thinking firstly of the children which are and always have been her top priority as should be the chairman's. Which is clearly not the case. A school which requires books and resources as Bridgewater does cannot justify £40000 or more in 'consultancy' fees to its chairman! It's ridiculous and morally and ethically wrong regardless of how legitimate and well covered it has been by the board of corrupt governors! Think of the children CHAIRMAN OUT AND JUDY NAIRN BACK NOW! This should not be allowed.
Well good on her. This stinks right from the off of payin people on the inside. Sounds like his actual job should have covered what he was paid for.
Too much money is wasted these days and she clearly saw that and is making a stand.
Celebrities.... Nick Cochrane ??????????
A Lady of conviction. I salute you.
I do not want to comment on this individual case. But, in general terms, governors should receive no payment at all: in my experience - I am a governor and have been on several governing bodies ovre the years - most do not even claim any expenses, though I think that local authority councillors do. Further, I have never known a governor also acting as a "consultant" for payment. It is difficult to see how there could not be a clash of interest.
Justice for nairn
I find it very interesting that this man became Chair of Governors so soon after being appointed to the Governing Body/Board.
Are the rest of the Governing body merely sycophants who just attend the termly meetings or do they actually get involved in school?
Very strange. This is not a decision that Mrs Nairn will have taken lightly after working there for so long.
Why else do you think people become governors? To benefit THEMSELVES or line their pockets.
That's my experience anyway.
My children go to Bridgewater School. This is a great school and one of the contributing factors to this is because Mrs Nairn and her staff are dedicated, professional and passionate people who always put the children's needs first. As a parent I will not rest until Mrs Nairn is back doing what she does best and that is leading Bridgewater School. Regardless of the fact that the governors have acted "legally and in accordance with the Charity Commission guidance." in my opinion the governors moral position is now untenable.
Katherine Cook
Sounds a bit like a conflict of intrest to me. I admire and respect the heads decision, either that or their was a movement afoot to put the head in a very difficult position and the only way out was to resign! If I were one of the parents I would keep a very close look at this situation. The parents need to call for a meeting between themselves and the school governors to clear up this disturbing situation as soon as possible. Governors should not be paid for work done for the school.if a governor is associated with the school for financial reasons then he/she is the wrong person for the school.
I was there back in the last 80's and Mrs Nairn was the head of prep and acting head a few times. Shame she's leaving because another chair of governers has taken money out of the school.
26years and only made head in 2000. should have been sooner Mrs N
Mrs.Nairn shouldn't be having to do things like this, I went to Bridgewater from 11-18 and my sister is currently there and I still keep in contact with teachers and classmates from there and we all believe that she is a remarkable woman and probably the best head teacher the school has ever seen and this current situation shows her strong will and character. The wrong person has left Bridgewater. Seb.
This school will go belly up without Mrs Nairn, she has been the schools backbone for years even when Miss Shannon Little was head. This must have been a heartbreaking and very hard decision for her to make. Very sad, she is an excellent head teacher who gave everything to the school, staff and pupils. I hope current parents stand up and back her.
Obviously Mrs Nairn is a woman with good principals and it must have took a lot of guts to do this. However she has made a stand because I am sure she has anylysed all the facts and figures and I wish her all the best for her future which with her undoubted talents she will.
The Charity commission is investigating this issue due to a very plucky lady's stance so I hope justice is prevailed.
As a previous Chair of Governors of Bridgewater School I am shocked and appalled at this situation. If the board have acted 'legally' then they certainly haven't acted either morally or ethically.Both the Chair and governing body can no longer sustain their positions within the school and MUST resign immediately to maintain the integrity of the school.The fact that Mrs Nairn, after 26 years exceptional service, has had to resort the this action to bring this matter to light shows that the board is not operating within the spirit of its constitution and definately not to the benefit of the school and its pupils.
Mrs. Nairn IS Bridgewater School! She is a fantastic Head who is adored by her pupils and thoroughly respected by the staff and by parents. Whether or not the governors payments are, as they claim, legal or not, the fact of the matter is that it is unethical and immoral to derive such payment when acting as governor. Mrs. Nairn is everything you would wish for in a Head and her decision to resign must have been agonizing. I admire her (and the Bursar) for having the courage of their convictions. The sooner the governors step down and Mrs. Nairn and the Bursar are reinstated the better, so that Bridgewater School can continue in being the marvellous school that it is. Caroline McCaul.
Mrs Nairn is an excellent teacher and Headmistress. I am an ex pupil and find it disgraceful the way in which she has been treated! She has dedicated her life to Bridgewater School and this is how they re-pay her???!!!! Reinstate Judy NOW!! Get rid of the Governors!!! She is the foundations of that school - it will crumble without her!!!!
"The school is attended by children of a number of celebrities, including former Coronation Street star Nick Cochrane, who played Andy McDonald".
'Celebrity' might be pushing it a bit there....
Mrs Nairn is an excellent teacher and headmistress. I, like others who have commented am an ex pupil and find it disgraceful the way she has been treated after dedicating her life to Bridgewater School. How is this a way to re-pay someone after 26 years of service??? The Governors are a moral black hole. Judy is the light and should be re-instated with immediate effect!! She is the foundations of that school - it will crumble without her!!
A lady of high principals, doing the right thing. This situation should never have been allowed this situation to arise. However the system will probably rally against the head and her past efforts and achievements will be overlooked.
Conflict of interest here ... your either someone who cleans the office or someone who chooses who should clean the office. Not Both
My daughter has been at Bridgewater since she was 11 years old and is currently studying for her A levels. We have had our differences of opinion with Mrs Nairn but have always found her to be caring, considerate, understanding and passionate about the school and the education and welfare of it's pupils. It is totally incomprehensible that she should be placed in a situation where she feels that she needs to walk away after years of dedicated service. As head of the school, Mrs Nairn has every right to determine how and where school funds should be applied and to challenge unreasonable/unnecessary/inappropriate expenditure.
In the light of the feeling of pupils, parents and staff it is clear that there is no place for Mr McGrath at Bridgewater. His resignation should be tendered immediately, together with the resignation of the other spineless governors who incredulously feel that this behaviour is acceptable and Mrs Nairn should be reinstated forthwith.