Headteacher at centre of school bullying allegations finally leaves

Martin Shipton

The headteacher of a school who has been the subject of extensive bullying allegations has finally announced that he is leaving.

Powys County Council had been strongly criticised for dragging an investigation on for too long after dozens of current and former teachers and parents claimed that the head teacher had engaged in bullying and other serious misconduct.

Nation.Cymru is aware of the identity of the headteacher and the school, but is unable to publish their names for legal reasons.

However, in 2024 we were sent a copy of a letter addressed to Emma Palmer, the county council’s chief executive, by 14 named individuals. Many more were said to be prepared to give evidence to an independent inquiry.

The letter, with words removed to avoid identifying the head teacher and the school, stated: “We are writing to make a formal complaint against [a named head teacher] and others within Powys County Council who have worked to suppress the legitimate concerns of Powys employees.

“]The head teacher] adopted a strategy engineered by biased investigating officers that became a zealous witch hunt against several staff, who remained suspended on full pay for years. Most of these allegations have proven to be unfounded, which is hardly surprising given the manner of questioning and reporting throughout all investigations. Nevertheless [the head teacher] has maintained this false narrative, resorting to behaviours from misrepresentation to blackmail, in order to thwart the legitimate concerns of anyone who dares to present an alternative view.

“Between September 2022 and July 2024 [the head teacher] continued to act in an egregious manner to implement changes in such a way as to cause detriment to the school and pupils, and cause many staff to resign, retire or go on long-term sick leave because of his threatening behaviour. In many cases he fabricated evidence, misrepresented meetings and failed to undertake his statutory duties as a head teacher to ensure that health or child protection procedures were adhered to, including matters relating specifically to his own actions and the recording of events. Any subsequent raising of concerns or complaints were sidelined, being aided and abetted by [named individual], Chair of Governors and what we consider to be an illegally functioning governing body.

“The due process of employment law, including grievance and whistle-blowing, was hindered by a group of individuals known to each other through previous employment. Some of these individuals were placed on the governing body or held significant roles within Powys Social Care and Educational Departments.”

‘Deeply troubling’

Reacting to the confirmation that the head was leaving, the group that spent more than a year campaigning for such an outcome, said: ”This departure, marks the end of a deeply troubling chapter for our school community. However, his exit alone does not address the systemic failures that allowed damaging leadership practices to continue unchecked, nor does it hold accountable those who enabled and supported these practices.

“While the mood has understandably lifted … we remain deeply concerned that he did not act in isolation. His decisions were supported by school management and Powys County Council (PCC), yet neither party has faced meaningful accountability.

“Despite numerous complaints from parents and staff, and PCC’s documented awareness of the situation at the school, we have received no acknowledgement or apology … to a recent email request or from other PCC leadership regarding the council’s role in supporting and maintaining this headteacher in post. The lack of transparency suggests an ongoing attempt to avoid scrutiny of what has occurred.

“Without an independent, out-of-county investigation, we believe the lessons from this experience will not be learned. The same appointment processes, oversight mechanisms, and accountability structures, such as the local authority slanted governance that failed the school, remain in place. Another disastrous PCC appointment appears inevitable unless systemic change occurs.

“The wellbeing of children and the professional treatment of education staff must be prioritised above all other considerations. So long as money takes precedence over wellbeing, and poor leadership is shielded from consequences, Powys schools will continue to suffer.

“The educational community deserves better. Children deserve better. The PCC educational loop must be broken.”