Tribunal criticises Doncaster's education director (Posted Oct 04)
An employment tribunal in Sheffield has criticised Doncaster's education director over his handling of the dismissal of Tony Brookes, the former headteacher of Thorne Grammar School. Mark Eales was found to have “approached the matter in a less than straightforward not to say insidious way”.
Following bad exam results in the summer of 2002, Tony Brookes claims he was pressurised by Mark Eales into taking early retirement (July 2002). On refusing, Mark Earles then “virtually instructed” two Doncaster head teachers, Bob Johnson (Don Valley High School) and Martin Vickers (Danum School) to approach Tony Brookes again with the suggestion he retire (6 Sept 2002).
The tribunal stated; “"We also found it clear that those gentlemen were left in no doubt that this is what the director of education required them to do." They also found this to be a serious breach of confidence; “Matters which should have been discussed in confidence between Mr Eales and the applicant had first been discussed between Mr Eales and third parties,".
Tony Brookes rejected a suggestion of early retirement made informally by Mark Eales in July 2002. The tribunal said, “In that context we consider Mr Eales' approach, “by the back door” is all the more inappropriate. The conclusion which we must inevitably draw is that having not achieved his objective via that informal approach he was now trying a variation on the theme”.
Tony Brookes then had a meeting with Mark Earles in September 2002 in which Mark Earles claimed that his school would fail its next Ofsted inspection. This followed an earlier Ofsted report in 2000, which identified serious weaknesses; a claim it was later forced to apologise for when problems were found with the inspection. Under this constant pressure from Mark Earles, Tony Brookes finally resigned in December 2002.
The tribunal said there was some dispute over whether Mark Earles had acted in a bullying manner during the meeting, but acknowledged that his treatment had left Tony Brookes Devastated & shell shocked. It also said, “that Mr. Eales approach and demeanour at the meeting was a further breach of the duty, of trust and confidence”.
When the school was finally inspected (Just five working weeks after Tony Brookes resignation), Ofsted removed the school from the “serious weaknesses” category after finding it to be an “improving and increasingly effective school” that had 'made good improvements”.
Tony Brookes won the constructive dismissal claim against Doncaster council in April 2004 as a result of Mark Earles failure to follow normal procedures. The tribunal said he had been denied, “natural justice & other protections”. However, Tony Brookes was found to be 25% to blame for not preparing adequately for the original inspection, a conclusion, which he disputes.
Tony Brookes had worked at Thorne Grammar School for 15 years & had planned to stay another five, before being forced out of his job. He said: “I am delighted with the outcome. I believed that my treatment was unfair and the tribunal has agreed. The LEA took a minibus full of witnesses to Sheffield to try to discredit me, but the tribunal was not fooled and understood exactly what Mr Eales had done. I would not recommend anyone to apply for a headship in Doncaster while Mr Eales is in charge. It seems to be the current fashion for heads to be pushed out for a set of bad exam results. I hope this decision will send a message to other chief education officers'.
“Sadly I was pressurised into leaving a job which I loved, five years before I intended to retire. My life has been changed forever. The school had been damaged by the LEA's abortive attempt to close the sixth form and an Ofsted inspection (November 2000) which Ofsted subsequently apologised for. By September 2002 the school was ready to move forward and at this point Mr Eales undermined my position. The improvements we had made from November 2000 were praised in the February 2003 Ofsted inspection”.
Martin Williams, leader of Thorne Town Council, has since called for the resignation of Mark Earles. - Alan.
Some background on Doncaster Council can be found HERE