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School in £1.6 million bonuses scandal ‘good value for money’
Tim Ross21.05.09
Government inspectors praised the head teacher who allegedly claimed £600,000 in “unlawful” bonuses and said his school offered taxpayers “good value for money”.
Sir Alan Davies was suspended as head of Copland Community College in Wembley last week over claims that bonus payments to staff totalling £1.6 million broke the law. The bursar and deputy head were also suspended pending an investigation.
But the Standard has established that Brent council received the school's accounts every year, and Ofsted said the school used financial resources well to support children's education.
The praise came despite the fact that Copland's buildings had fallen into disrepair, leaving children to be taught in temporary huts. Teachers' leaders warned that the Copland case might not be an isolated incident and called for tighter scrutiny of school accounts.
Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: “Worryingly, we fear Copland may not be a one-off, but may be an extreme example of a creeping sickness in state schools. We question whether there are sufficient safeguards to ensure the salaries of academy heads are justified and fair.”
John Dixon, from the National Union of Teachers, said the issue highlighted “the dangers of lack of local accountability” in trust schools and academies.
An Ofsted spokesperson said: "Ofsted inspects the overall effectiveness of schools including the quality of education provided. Inspectors take an overview to see if the school is managed efficiently and providing value for money, and look at deployment of resources. It is not Ofsted's remit to audit the finances of schools.
"As a foundation school Copland has more control over its budget than a maintained school. We stated in our last inspection report three years ago that the school's overall performance had fallen from 'Good' to 'Satisfactory', and highlighted that the poor state of the classrooms adversely affected the education provided.
"Ofsted is currently carrying out our routine inspection of Copland Community College and the inspection report will be published in due course."
Brent council said it received a copy of the school's audited accounts every year.
"These have already been scrutinised by the independent auditors appointed by the school. There was nothing in these accounts to indicate there was anything untoward," a Brent spokesman said.
"As soon as we were made aware of the allegations of financial mismanagement we took decisive action. We will be considering the accounts as part of the ongoing investigation."
Reader views (3)
If you and all teachers are petrified (I am not a member of staff but engaged to one) Their salary - salary not bonus - has been cut. Governors have been threatened with having to repay thousands of pounds, although the school had a full time accountant ad auditors checked the books every year. This was a Beacon school, innovative and hugely successful academically. It is now dying on its feet. Why? There is a good reason ...
- S.J. Henry -Lyons (Miss), London UK
I taught there as a supply teacher for half a term, three years ago.
It was, by any measure, quite dreadful!
Staff were demoralised,leadership was non-existent, one of the deputy heads ran the school,the place was a shambles and the head teacher invisible.
Why don't these inspectors ask the people closest to the pupils and who know exactly the quality of education the students are receiving - the teachers.
It was an eye-opener.
If Sir Alan deserves a bonus then the poor teachers who are carrying the burden of running the school deserve one too.
If the council inspectors find that Sir Alan is doing a good job it is only because their own inadequacies and the worthlessness of their earlier inspections would be exposed.
Teachers should be listened to, not suspended.
These are tactics of terror and control, whatever happened to reasoned debate? These are people dedicated to their jobs and anxious to see their students do well. How dare incompetents suspend them and pocket bonuses. Its obvious who's in the wrong in this story.
- Larry Spence, London, England
i see no-one comments on anything remotely positive surrounding all the copland news!
BRING BACK SIR ALAN, THE HEART OF COPLAND! WORTH EVERY PENNY AND MORE!
- S.Barral, hertfordshire
