A NATIONALLY acclaimed Manchester headteacher has been severely criticised in a damning report into allegations of nepotism and the running of her school.
The investigation by the Audit Commission into the management of Whalley Range High School For Girls reveals serious "errors of judgement" by Dame Jean Else.
It raises questions about the manner in which her twin sister was promoted to a top job and expresses concerns about how funds were used.
The report concludes there was "a significant breakdown in the appropriate standards of governance and accountability at the school."
Dame Jean today hit back and insisted that much of the report is "ill-founded".
She said: "I haven't deliberately done anything wrong and I deserve to go back."
The well respected headteacher has been credited with transforming the once-failing school into one of the highest achieving and most popular in the city.
She was made a Dame in 2001 in recognition of her services to education.
But since December last year she has been suspended from her post on full pay, along with the school's director of governance Stewart Scott and assistant headteacher (finance) Maureen Ratchford, who is Dame Jean's twin sister.
Today the commission published its final report following its three-year investigation into the running of the school.
In the 12-page document, district auditor Clive Portman specifically considered four allegations: that substantial payments were made to a number of members of staff on termination of their employment; social events were held at the school with a lack of clarity regarding funding; there were inappropriate personal relationships between contractors employed by the school and the headteacher; and there was a history of nepotism in appointments at the school.
Standards
Mr Portman said: "Whilst a number of the allegations made were not proven, my conclusion is that there has been a significant breakdown in the appropriate standards of governance and accountability at the school.
"In my view, the Governing Body of the School has, until recently, failed to properly perform its role. The headteacher has made serious errors of judgement in her dealings with a number of staffing matter, particularly in relation to the role and remuneration of her sister. The culture within the School has been lacking in openness and accountability and in my view it is not surprising that allegations of nepotism have been made."
He concluded insufficient consideration was given to the high salaries paid to certain managers at the school, and said unlawful payments were made to some staff when they left.
Mr Portman recommended the city council should review the amount paid to Dame Jean and the senior management team at the school.
The headteacher was paid a basic salary of more than £76,000 in 2003/4 but this was boosted to nearly £140,000 by payments for work outside the school.
The previous year her income totalled more than £141,000.
Earnings by Dame Jean's sister, Mrs Ratchford, totalled £79,000 in 2002/3.
Mr Portman said the series of promotions given to Mrs Ratchford from her original position as a part-time clerical assistant by Dame Jean represented a "clear conflict of interest".
He also criticised Dame Jean for the manner in which she entered into contracts with individuals with whom she had a close personal relationship.
In one instance, consultancy fees of about £13,200 were paid to a personal friend but the governors were only told about a part of this payment.
He also raised concerns about the way school funds totalling £4,000 were used to pay for social events - one to celebrate the headteacher's inclusion on the honours list.
Questions
Mr Portman said action has been taken to address many of the problem revealed by his investigation.
When Dame Jean took over at Whalley Range in 1994 truancy rates at the school were the highest in the country, with only one in four pupils turning up for lessons, and results were so poor that just 16 per cent of girls achieved five or more A*-C grade GCSE.
And since then she has spearheaded a turnaround in the fortunes of the school where 58 per cent last year scored five or more A*-C grades and unauthorised absence was just 0.5 per cent.
She is currently facing a disciplinary hearing launched by Manchester City Council which has been conducting its own investigation at the school.
Dame Jean believes the investigation was prompted by the "malicious" allegations of a former member of staff and says she wants to be allowed to return to work as quickly as possible.
She said: "The most important thing is the needs of the children and that is the first priority. I haven't deliberately done anything wrong and I deserve to go back.
"This has been a stressful exercise, that has probably cost a lot of money, that didn't have to take place."
The report also raises serious questions about the local education authority's failure to intervene at the school, the level and quality of support offered to the governing body.
It states: "The lack of intervention by the local education authority raises questions about the level and effectiveness of LEA support to the governing body and the effectiveness of LEA monitoring of expenditure incurred by the school."
A spokesperson for Manchester City Council said: "We are pleased the district auditor recognises that the city council is already undertaking a review, and that we are working closely with the current chair and deputy chair of governors. "We want to build on the strengths of the school and we are already in the process of implementing recommendations. Whalley Range is an improving school, which provides a good education to its pupils.
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It is a shame Dame Jean Else has disgraced herself in this manor after all the hard work she has completed at Whalley Range High School.
It comes accros she has taken it for granted that she would not be inspected or open to scrutinty because of the good work she has achieved.
If this investigation wasn't made now how much more would Dame Jean have got away with. This should be considered paramount in the views of the council.
However as a tax payer every penny that she was not entitled to should be paid back. Legal action should be taken by Manchester City Council.
If it was a member of staff who had control of any sort of finance caught misusing funds to the extent that Dame Jean did the council would not stop short of ensuring legal action was taken.
A slap on the wrist is not the answer and does not set a good example.
I also believe the Dame should be removed from her title.
Disgrace brought on by Greed
Tell me something new this has been going on forever why should she be singled out we have had this from consecutive governments for hundreds of years nothing new here "Scapegoat comes to mind" Getting caught come to mind as well ? Its about time that governments and people in power should be brought to book and made accountable ,No doubt she probably upset somebody who blew the whisle?? Other than this nobody would be the wiser? Clean the full system out and make all people in power accountable ..to the people who pay their wages .US the public and if they are found guilty make them pay every penny back and give them a prison sentence "But this will never happen" It goes right to the top .
this is discraceful, abuse of leadership, however, manchester city council are also given too much power from goverment without a check on them, this is frightening, in a so called democracy.Lets hope she is punished for her actions, and not awarded as we often see.
Kafkaesque
WHO (what power) has Dame Jean Else upset to such an extent that the audit report should be made public before the current disciplinary has come to an end - a disciplinary set up by the City Council to hold the headteacher to account - Is this British Justice???
Should the question not be: 'How well did the LEA/Council monitor and audit the school or is it their neglect for which they now need a scapegoat???
Jean Else is an excellent headteacher and a determined professional whose school made a fantastic educational turnaround - in the top twenty schools in terms of the Value Added in the country. What does Manchester City want - Cover up it's own neglect. And what Manchester people/ residents should ask: What is the true cost of this unnecessary witch hunt and who is paying for it???
Oh, how the British people like to and relish in toppling able professional and successful people and make scapegoats.
Is it really Justice for a head to stand accused through the Press and have to defend themselves in this very public way. I always believed (obviously wrongly) that an individual is innocent until actually proven guilty... but then Denis Sweeney head at Lostock from 1997-2002 and I his chair were similarly treated through 'kangaroo' courts set up by Trafford Council/LEA. My thoughts are with Jean and her sister for I remember only too well the pain and fear we were subjected to for some 13 months - this long journey form alleged accused to innocence is recorded in my book 'Tilting at Windmills' A tale of corporate bullying - available by contacting me on 0161 864 1733.
LEAs and Local Authorities have the powers to destroy good people doing so outside Fair Play, Natural Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law - they move the goal post whenever it suits. Currently there are over 400 heads suspended and whereas there may well be a few who should be suspended the majority of these heads will be professionally assassinated all too often through the Press by Local Authorities - more often than not to cover their lack of support and supervision.
Today the government talks again about education - real improvements are ultimately only possible with hardworking innovative and caring (be it sometimes single minded) professionals, like Jean Else and Denis Sweeney, who have dreams and goals to achieve for our kids.
By depriving a professional educator like Jean of her status and ability to work in her school - YOU are educationally depriving our inner city kids in Manchester.
I think Justine from Urmston is missing the point. Nobody denies Dame Jean has done well for the school she has. However at the end of the day what it boils down to is Theft.
How about considering the funds taken could have done a lot more for the children at the school. For instance i know of one pupil who was sent home because the bobble in the hair was not the right colour also a child turned up in trainers because the mother could not get to the shop until the weekend. The school could have bought that bobble or shoes and still have a mamouth amount of money left. Come on B#3,000 to big yourself up for becoming a Dame! Some poor couples can't spend that on their wedding. Its the working people who suffer at the end. When goverment want to up your taxes up see how you will feel then. You and I don't know when the spending would have stopped if the investigation wasn't made. Think about it who suffers at the end of the day.
Dame Jean has not spent more than many heads do on salaries. She does reward excellence in her staff, but expects total commitment in return.
The excellence of Whalley Range High School is used to motivate other schools - not just failing schools. Dame Jean has been very supportive to my consultitative work and was not paid a peny for all her time and effort.
Manchester City Council should be taking this to court. She should be answerable, just because she is a Dame does not excuse her nepotism and the way she has run this school. She should also be made to appear before the GTC. Teachers who have done much less than this have had to appear before them and just because she has friends in high places should not excuse her.
The rate payers of Manchester deserve better than this. They are the ones with one of the highest Council Taxes in the country and they have to fund B#7,000 for "celebrating" someone getting an "honour"!
Patricia
As a colleague of Dame Jeans' for some years I would rather keep my name anonymous not because I am ashamed to support her but because I am unsure as to what repurcussions could follow. This whole thing has been a "witch hunt" from start to finish. She has done an excellent job at Whalley Range and that is not just my opinion, it is fact. If employing the best people for a job is a crime then the majority of people in industy responsible for hiring staff would be under investigation. Once again having acknowledged the great work and achievements of an individual we the great british nation can't wait to knock them down. Her magnificient achievements have been very quickly forgotten. Dame Jean I know would be the first to acknowledge that she could not have achieved the success without the hard work of her staff. Some of whom she is now being critised for either employing or promoting. She'd probably also be critised for dismissing staff, seems to me she can't win. I think everyone involved in this disgraceful episode should be ashamed of themsleves. Someone obviously started this - it reeks of malice. I hope that someone can live with themself. This is destroying a wonderful school and a excellent headteacher's life. The length of time the investigation has taken is a disgrace and if we are taking about public money being spent inappropraitely or wasted I suggest that the cost of this investigation be a case for enquiry. This must stop now for the sake of the school, its staff and students. Commonsense should prevail and Dame Jean be reinstated. My thoughts as always are with her and her sister
It's quite plain to see that Jean Else's downfall has origination from being self obsessed with self glorification and greed, her actions are without doubt criminal, and she should be treated like one, her damehood stripped and most importantly she should never be allowed to step foot inside any other school again, and the press should black ball her from making any more "I'm not to blame comments"
when you STEAL that much money from Taxpayers regardless of your background and personal aspects, you should be treated as a criminal of the state, and should not be treated any differently as any other criminal without her alleged merit.
How brave of Dame Jean to face the world and have her say, this shows she has nothing to hide. All we hope now is that she comes back to the school with her head held high. All I can say to the ex-member of staff who condemned her this evening on television is "whatever". The staff have carried on the way Dame Jean would have expected them to and look forward to the day that she walks back through the doors of Whalley Range High School.
I would just like to say that unless you are in the school at the moment you cannnot criticise Dame Jean, in the past twelve months staff have felt unable to say anything and watch while eveything goes down hill rapidly, i am unsure as to what the lea have put in place the last 12 months apart from fear of ones job,fear of childrens education. i am sure i speak for the majority of staff when i say please let jean come back at least when she was here we knew the students were well represented. The lea and the 'acting headteacher dont really care about them they just want her out no matter who it harms.
B#4000 spent on partying and if a pensioner withholds B#40 Council Tax they get sent to prison. If people running schools cannot understand that such spending of public money is wrong then what hope have we of children being taught the values of citizenship.
The report should prove her failures not judge her discretion or cring onto negligible shortcomings. The reports focused on destroying her name, a name to be praised. I think Dame Jean is honest and sincere, even if her critics succeed in crucifying her, her heart will rejoice for she has changed the negative image of Whalley Range High School to positive. No man can destroy that!
Sorry but I prefer to remain anonymous as I work as an educational consultant.
Was is about 1997 when the Council previously withdrew the budget from Whalley Range HS? Why? For similar concerns about the mismanagemnet of public funds?
Jean Else is in cloud cuckoo land, not accepting the criticisms of the District Auditor. She should be sacked.
In reply to "staff, manchester" The council taxpayer pays half their tax to fund education. It was (still is) costing up to B#5000 per week to employ the said sisters - so any criticism is valid not just from school users.
In the 1980's Miss Jean Else, was the PE teacher at Queen Elizabeth's senior High School in Middleton. Here, she used to chase around the pupils during PE, shouting, bawling and acting like Atilla the Hun.
Jill
I along with many of jeans colleuges find it appalling that people who have no knowledge of her expertise,total commitment or her excellent vision which made Whalley Range High School
"THE HOME OF EXCELLENCE"
can make comments on a report which was spawned by a number of disgruntled employee"s let alone vote to say if she should return to her post or not
The students at Whalley Range have always been first on Jeans agenda which is probably why these employees no longer work here, as for the employment of her sister far from any special favours being given to Maureen it was often pointed out how hard she worked and how commited she was not only to the school but also to jean,unlike the collegue who spoke out against them both on T.V.during her time at whalley range when her own collegues would comment on the fact she had more absences than all the staff put together .
when this investigation is over another should be started into the cost of keeping jean out of the school,we now have an acting head teacher ,an advisor, and jeans assistant head all failing to deliver ,the students are being let down and behaviour has to be at an all time low,along with staff morale .many excellent members of staff have left and i along with many others will not stay if jean is not re instated ,surely anyone with an ounze of sense can see this is a witch hunt which has been brought about through jealousy of jeans success, there is no comment anywhere stating how jean and Maureen worked long hours stood on the gates for Manchester city car parking or humped tables for car boot sales, painted classrooms etc, etc etc to raise funds for the students
so all you good citizens out there who have already tried jean and found her guilty wake up its the L.E.A and anyone who has helped them during this witch hunt which need to be brought to trial ,especially the person who has sold her for what 40 pieces of silver? not at the cost of the students education, i along with many staff and parents will cheer at her return
THE SOONER THE BETTER !
As a member of staff at this school I think the LEA and the audit comission have done a responsible and viable thing, people are critisising of "malicious" behaviour yet the Dame has been investigated for some time and at the end of the day she has taken money that does not belong to her to despense at her will, the buck cannot be passes, Jean must of known about these issues and chose not to deal with them directly and honestly, How can she ever be seen in this school again is beyond me, and to be honest the school was falling apart before this action was taken leaving the question Did she know she was going to be found out, and I think everyone now knows the answer to this one.
There is certainly a wide spread of nebitism in this place which makes work uneasy for the makority and only comfortable to those inside "The Circle" I think now these are the people who are worried, and they should be.
The actions of Dame Jean Else in making ex-gratia payments to employees, appointing a friend as a consultant and her twin sister to a position of authority together with the funding of celebratory events at WRHS, without complete reference to proper procedures; have been investigated by Clive Portman the District Auditor. He has found her to have acted in a culpable or blameworthy fashion.
It was right that the case should be properly investigated and that Dame Jean be suspended on salary whilst this took place, natural justice demands no less.
The District Auditor is independent of the local education authority and is charged with ensuring that public money is properly expended.
It is acknowledged that Jean Else has with her staff made remarkable educational achievements at WRHS; the Damehood being a tangible recognition of this.
A Headteacher has a duty beyond the imparting of knowledge to her charges she is expected to exercise a moral and fiduciary responsibility. Headteachers and indeed heads of department in schools are aware of the need to handle public money responsibility.
For Dame Jean Else to respond to the accusation of improperly appointing a friend as a consultant that she verbally reported to a Governors meeting and that they were quite happy for her get on with it, is disingenuous. For Jean Else to pretend that the disbursement of B#13,000 could be properly handled in such an off hand fashion is a disservice to her own position and to her profession.
Having read the independent District Auditor's report about Dame Jean Else, I am appalled. Achievement at Whalley Range has massively improved and the school is doing an excellent job. However, public servants are quite rightly bound by legal and advisory codes of behaviour. How can anyone defend promoting your own sister from clerical officer to Assistant Headteacher at B#60,000 per year, one off payments to caretaking staff when they were leaving totalling over B#12,000, employing friends as consultants, having undeclared funds, salary payments to herself being doubled, and B#4000 of entertainment. Public servants have been sacked for much less, including a number of headteachers. Schools are no different than other public services including care homes, hospitals, the Army, planning departments, direct works departments, housing, etc. There should only be one outcome of this corruption - dismissal.
As a previous student at Whalley Range, I am extremely apprehensive for Jean Else to be re-instated as soon as possible. Once heading for the route of high school drop out, I was what many would call 'unteachable' and completely disinterested with the whole purpose of school and education, at least until Jean herself stepped in. Regularly skipping lessons, drinking alcohol and failing to complete coursework did not automatically put me into the 'wasters' category with Jean, instead she took the time to make me see the wrongs of my behaviour, employing an open door policy to her office and often could be found staying late into the evening to give myself and others just that little bit more help and guidance. What schools need are hands-on headteachers who interact with their students and know their school, not managers who are fully booked with appointments and meetings and only emerge to take the odd assembly. As it turned out, I stayed on at Whalley Range 6th Form, successfully completed my A-levels I am now studying for a degree at a top university. Thanks Jean for your belief in me and from giving me a better start in life than perhaps ending up on the dole, a couple of teenage pregnancies, a free council house etc etc (all of which would amount to a significantly higher drain on taxpayers funds than a B#4000 celebratory party).
Can a price be put on quality education? The answer is no.
the work and dedication of dame jean else can only be fully appreciated by staff and students at the school. during my seven years at the school it was clear that jean else only had the students' best interests at heart. i recieved an excellent standard of education which would not have been possible without the dame. sacking her would be a miscarriage of justice for both the dame and the students.
As a member of staff i can say thank god this has happened. Paying your sister to go from part time clerical assistant to an assistant head (err...where the qualification?) is bad enough but then paying her a ridiculous amount of money which hard working teachers can only dream of is appalling. I watched with frustration as family and friends of Jean's were promoted and offered 'assistant deputy' positions and teacher positions when half of them were not even qualified. As far as the pupils, they did not respect her as she was only ever talking to them from a television set. The high standards that whalley range has achieved is down to the hard working QUALIFIED teaching and support staff. The only people that want Jean back are her friends that are still in the school and to be honest-not many are left.
A thing to point out. The party for 'celebrating' the dameship - Jean had no idea it was taking place until the night of the 'do'. The Senior assistant Headteacher organised this - would it be fair then to say that she should be brought to justice over this? - Of course she should - after all she had just as much power as Jean did, but she'll probably not be, as she is the one who has gained the most from Jeans departure.
When the rest of the staff discover the salaries that two of SMT will be going on - rises of around B#5000 each and being 'promoted' to 'Deputy Heads' (A Deputy Head role MUST be advertised nationally) it's obvious that things haven't changed. - This place is still corrupt, if it was so before, but with a man from the LEA in charge instead.
I have read all of the comments about Jean Else with a real sense of sadness. Throughout this whole shabby affair, we have lost sight of the only factor that matters, the children's education. The students are the only losers in this whole sordid mess. Not because they have lost their headteacher though. Jean was a strong and powerful figurehead within the school, undoubtably. However, to keep repeating as some kind of mantra the fact that 'she turned the school around' is in many ways irrelevant. She was paid well to do the best for these students and to maximise their chances of success. This she certainly did and was well rewarded for. What is under investigation is the way in which finances and appointments etc were carried out at the school. Unfortunately, one's success in one area does not negate the need for integrity in another. The students at Whalley Range have been let down because their school name has now become synonomous with corruption and media headlines. Rather than feeling proud of their schools' achievements, they feel ashamed that their headteacher could not provide an example of moral and pricipled leadership. All these staff writing support for Jean on this website need to consider the seriously flawed message you are sending to our students. When they do wrong, we ask them to be accountable, we punish them, we require apologies and we condemn their actions. Jean has done wrong. Clearly. I for one respect her past achievements but am disappointed in the fact that she cannot now accept responsibility for her actions, apologise and let a new headteacher take over and move the school forward; away from all the negative associations, corruption and nepotism. The school IS a wonderful institution, our students are incredible. They deserve better figureheads. Before you call for Jean's immediate reinstatement, think about what double standards we are setting for he students we teach. Teachers should provide a rounded education and the school should be a morally sound institution that students remember with pride. At present, the school is in a difficult transitional period and staff morale is low. It will increase when we can have restored pride in our school name, and leadership that we can trust. We all deserve better, to think that the school will sink without Jean speaks loudly of a lack of faith in our own abilities. Jean was only the headteacher of the school. The real graft in turning the school around was done by the teachers and support staff who are so talented and inspirational.