A HEADTEACHER who turns up each day at school has to leave when his pupils arrive because of a delay over paperwork.

He has been barred from working with his pupils because his new school didn't apply for a criminal-background check until days before term started.

Since term began at Brookburn primary in Chorlton on September 5, Chris Fenton has been carrying out administrative work in the mornings before pupils arrive, leaving the premises during the day, and returning in the evenings after they leave.

He was appointed as the head of the school in April and was due to start this month.

But his application for a criminal records check, which teachers must submit before starting at a new school, was not posted until a few weeks ago and so he has not had approval.

'Relentless'

Letters were sent to parents of the primary's 300 pupils earlier this week explaining the new head would not have direct contact with pupils until his application was cleared.

The letter read: "Unfortunately, I'm still awaiting my Criminal Records Bureau clearance but will still be contactable at the office and will be working relentlessly in the school's interest."

Background checks to ensure staff are suitable to work with young and vulnerable people are carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). Each application normally takes weeks to process because local police are asked to check whether an applicant has ever been in trouble.

Strict guidelines prevent people without the necessary clearance working with children and Department for Education rules state that teachers must undergo new checks if they get major promotions.

Criticised

It is believed 100 other school staff in Manchester whose applications were submitted for clearance in July are still waiting for clearance.

The CRB, which is a government agency, was severely criticised three years ago after hundreds of new teachers couldn't start work because their applications weren't cleared in time for the new school year.

No one at Brookburn primary wanted to comment on the situation - but a Manchester council spokesman acknowledged that the delay was due to the late submission of the screening application.

Disbelief

He said: "A number of schools have been rather late in submitting their CRB checks for new staff starting in September."

One parent at Brookburn, who did not wish to be named, said: "There is disbelief that the appointment was made in the spring but the headteacher can't start working." Many parents said the new headteacher had helped revitalise the school's appearance during the summer break.

Nigel Partington, whose sons Oliver and Myles attend the primary, said: "The school has been transformed over the summer holiday because Mr Fenton came in and organised the redecoration.

"If he or the school staff have forgotten this one thing then they have remembered 800,000 other things."

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