Mike Barker asks, "Who knew what about Eastbourne School?" (Darlington and Sedgefield Liberal Democrats)

Darlington and Sedgefield Liberal Democrats <joe.kelley@darlingtonlibdems.org.uk>

Mike Barker asks, "Who knew what about Eastbourne School?"

February 8, 2008 10:16 PM

The Northern Echo reported this morning on the General Teaching Council's reprimand for the former Head and Deputy Head of Eastbourne School, who falsified pupil attendance records in 2005. It is not clear why it has taken three years for this to come to light, but it is one more depressing chapter in the sorry history of Eastbourne School, which has consistently failed its pupils.

Dithering and weak political leadership over several years contributed directly to the downward spiral of this school, rated at the time as one of the worst performers in the whole country. Ms Pemberton dragged the school out of Special Measures, but the intolerable pressure on her to achieve results and meet targets seems to have produced this critical failure of judgement.

The censuring of Ms Pemberton and Mr Rushton raises the question of just who knew about this, has there been a deliberate cover-up in the Council, and are the rumours about pay-offs and gagging orders true?

Parliamentary Spokesman, Councillor Mike Barker, has written to John Williams, the Leader of the Council, and Chris McEwan, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and demanded answers to the following questions:

Did Councillors know about this manipulation of attendance figures and, if so, why did they choose to keep quiet?

Do the Leader of the Council and the responsible Cabinet Member accept responsibility for the intolerable pressure under which the Head and Deputy Head were placed to achieve results despite inadequate political and administrative support, which resulted in their regrettable actions?

Did Ms Pemberton or Mr Rushton receive pay-offs for leaving Eastbourne School? If so, what was the size of these pay-offs and what conditions were attached to them? If there were any pay-offs, were any Councillors aware of them?