Parents have rallied to support a headteacher who quit in protest over payments made to a governor.
Judy Nairn surprised parents by standing down from Bridgewater School, a leading private school in Worsley, last week.
Mrs Nairn, who has worked at the school for 26 years, is understood to have clashed with governors over the decision to hire the school’s chairman of governors James McGrath to provide services in addition to his role.
As well as his unpaid post as governor, Mr McGrath, a former deputy head, carried out extra paid work as an ‘education consultant’ – and is believed to have been paid £40,000 over 12 months.
Members of the school’s board have insisted the arrangement was proper and that Mr McGrath was able to bring extra skills to improving the school through the paid role.
But many parents at the £8,750-a-year school which teaches 530 children aged three to 18, said they were surprised to hear of the arrangement, which is now being scrutinised by the Charity Commission.
Head of Worsley private school quits 'in protest' as governor is paid £40k
The school’s bursar, Faye Davenport-Thomas, is currently suspended following allegations that school documents were leaked to a third party.
Around 100 parents attended an emergency meeting of the PTA, where they demanded the headteacher be reinstated.
Mark Newman, who attended the meeting, said: "The normal meeting which had been arranged was suspended because of what had happened.
"Everyone is stunned to learn what has been going on. It was agreed that a committee would be set up with representatives from each year group. There was unanimous support at the meeting for reinstating Mrs Nairn and the bursar and for getting rid of the board. There are going further meetings this week to decide the way forward."
Ben Lavelle, whose two boys attend the school, added: "This has been going on for a number of months but we are just hearing about it now.
"It is a fantastic school with great pastoral care. Mrs Nairn is instrumental in creating that atmosphere. I think it is fair to say that it is middling in the tables, but the strategic direction has to come from the governors. I think she needs to come back and the majority of parents are behind her."
In a letter issued to parents in the wake of Mrs Nairn's resignation, school governors said they had sought independent advice that confirmed they were acting legally by paying a governor.
Charity rules allow organisations to hire governors or board members, which are generally unpaid roles, to provide services in specific circumstances.
Mr McGrath was initially employed by the school to ‘coach’ Mrs Nairn, who was appointed the school’s headteacher in 2010.
He was later appointed to the school’s board of governors, becoming chairman, and was also employed to act as a paid ‘education consultant’, providing advice and training.
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So the governors suspend the bursar, suspend the head (who then resigns) and are staying in power despite threats from numerous parents to pull their children (and the money that comes with them) out of the school. How can they honestly say that what they are doing is for the good of the school when the damage they are causing is so clear?
Good to see! Reinstate Mrs Nairn!!!
I thought that school governors took up the position to assist the teachers and head in improving educational standards at the school, not promoting themselves?
Good luck to Mrs Nairn.
It is refreshing to see someone standing up so strongly for what they believe in. Good luck to everyone involved in getting this sorted.
At the end of the day, if this money being taken is threatening the school then parents should do whatever they can to do the right thing here.
There is a simple test for anyone in a guardianship role such as governor or trustee: would you be happy to stand up and explain your actions to the staff, pupils, parents and anyone else? If the answer is no then you shouldn't do it. If it is true that the Chairman tried to gag Mrs Nairn and the Bursar and now plans to do the same to the staff and children to keep what he was doing quiet, then he knows his actions are wrong. He should therefore resign immediately or be removed forthwith by the rest of the governing body if he does not.
Following that, there needs to be a wholesale clear out of the governing body who are also culpable in allowing this to happen. Asleep at the wheel is the phrase that springs to mind and they appear to have been too weak to do their job of holding wrongdoers to account when necessary. At the very least the vice-Chairman should go as should anyone else who knew what was happening, for instance, those who authorized seeking legal advice on the conflict of interest and those who were aware it had been done. If that means the entire governing body stands down within days, so be it.
...Its great to see everyone working together to try to make a change...its fair to say, as a parent, I simply want the school to regain its competitive edge, both acadmecially and in attracting new students and inward investment.
The head has resigned because of the Board of Governors!
The Bursar was suspended by the Board of Governors!
The Chairman Vice Chairman and Board seem happy to continue with their dictatorial totally intransigent attitude towards the school,staff and pupils!
Even if they are right which seems questionable,because they had to seek legal advice! ( I am amazed by that)
Right or wrong if the governors do not go the school will possibly close!
Who endowed these governors with such absolute power,or did they invest such power in themselves!
Do they honestly believe their refusal to resign is in the best interests of the pupils, staff and school.
I think not!
Food for thought! Who chose the Chairman?
In my humble opinion the Chairman,Vice Chairman and all members of the whole board have to do the honourable thing and resign!
Don't give in to these head teachers who spit thier dummy out when things don't go thier way! This is happening in a lot of schools and not just private schools.Head techers need to realise that they are not God and that they work for us the public and parents. Deputy head teachers are even worse! Well done to the Governors for taking control, lets hope more schools govenors get some backbone and do the same for the sake of parents and pupil....Well done!!
could someone give me the bottom line and tell me what the worst possible outcome of all this would be for the students, esp those in yrs 11 and 13
This is not a power struggle and this should not be a battle of the wills . This is purely a matter of what is right for the school and its community ( parents, children and staff ) . I agree that if you have done nothing wrong other than whistleblow on bad behaviour then you can stand up in front of the community and answer for your actions. Wherease if your actions have been done in a non transparent and open manner then again you have to stand and face the music. It tells you something when the Governors meet their staff with their solictor present and that when they are asked to resign by a group of over 80 parents they refuse. Think of your children in the school and think of the conseuqences of your actions and do the right thing before you ruin the very ethos of this established school and charity . Your arrogance has a place but is not in Bridgewater School.
Makes me wonder what example to the pupils is set by Management negativity in any form, it there no arbitration service within the expensive education system to ensure transparency and trust within the education for life system are paramount.
I spent ten years as a governor from the mid 90's at Bridgewater School, latterly as Vice-Chair, and the governing body at that time spent many months in time, effort and expense with a prestigious law firm to bring the Constitution up to date, whilst ensuring that the core principles of the original parents who opened the school were upheld. That being that NO governor would receive remuneration for any works in their role as a governor. This was paramount to ensure the health and well being of the school for the education of generations of children. This is not the first time that this has been an issue and we tried to ensure that it would never happen again. I am therefore dismayed to hear that resolutions have been passed that have created this scenario yet again. A resolution can be legal but that does not mean it is morally or ethically right. If Mr McGrath and the governing body believe he is so necessary to the school then he should have applied as Head. We had cases of governors who later gained employment at the school who immediately resigned to safeguard any conflict of interest. This was a given. The parents of the school are ultimately investing in the future of their children, and it makes a mockery of the Head and the Senior Management Team that their skills are being undermined in the current actions of the governing body. I urge parents to look carefully at the Constitution for answers to this debacle. I also assure all parents that Mrs Nairn has spent her career passionately protecting the core ethos of the original founders, as did her mother before her. I also applaud the Bursar if she has indeed voiced her concerns. She has every right to protect the financial interests of the guardians and parents of the children. Without integrity and accountability the school will always be vulnerable, a fact any governor should appreciate and accept.