Children Kept Out Of School In Row Over New Headteacher

Parents of pupils at Wilbarston C of E Primary School kept them at home for a day in protest at the way a new headteacher was appointed.

Around 15 children were taken out of school on Wednesday after an outside candidate was given the job, instead of the existing popular interim head.

Parents say the school was ‘thriving’ under the leadership of Neil Balliston who was appointed in the summer, but failed to get the job on a permanent basis.

They say the Pathfinder Schools Trust, which runs the school, has not been transparent in how the decision was reached and want it investigated.

One parent said: “We were all so shocked that Mr Balliston was not given the role.

“As soon as he arrived, the atmosphere at the school was amazing, it was a palpable change.

“We just wanted to understand how that decision was made, not just told that the person coming in was better.”

Wilbarston C of E Primary School

The parents say the action was a ‘one-off’ designed to get their message across and stress their argument is with the Trust and not the school, adding they ‘could not be happier’ with the job staff are doing.

A spokesperson Pathfinder Schools Trust said: “We are committed to delivering an excellent education for all our pupils, which is why we were focused on appointing a high-quality, experienced leader who will ensure the school continues to develop and flourish.

“We are delighted that, following a robust recruitment process, the unanimous decision of the panel was to appoint Mrs Hawkes as our permanent headteacher.

“She has more than 25 years’ experience, embodies our Christian values and knows Northamptonshire extremely well, having worked at many schools in the area.

“We are therefore confident she is ideally placed to take the school forward, ensuring our pupils continue to receive the best possible education to secure strong academic outcomes whilst accessing a wide range of enrichment opportunities.

“We are organising opportunities, such as the learning in action day on Tuesday, for our parents to meet our new headteacher to see the expertise and warmth she will bring to our community.

“This is part of an effective transition plan we have put in place for the coming weeks to support our community and Mrs Hawkes, who officially takes up her post as Head on 1st January 2024.

“We would like to thank our interim headteacher, Mr Balliston, who has made such a positive impact on our school community and look forward to shortly welcoming him to an interim leadership role at one of the other schools in our Trust.”