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Ministers set to sack governors in bonus scandal
Tim Ross19 Jun 2009
Ministers are preparing to sack the governors of a London comprehensive engulfed in one of the biggest financial scandals to hit a state school.
Copland Community College in Wembley is under investigation over allegations that senior staff took home at least £1.6 million in unlawful bonuses while classrooms were allowed to crumble.
The headteacher, Sir Alan Davies, was suspended last month with his deputy and bursar but governors who sanctioned payments remained in their posts.
Chairman of governors, Dr IP Patel, defended the bonuses, insisting Sir Alan was worth “every penny” of his £400,000-plus payments, but an investigation by Brent council found there was “no lawful and/or rational basis” for them.
Brent has requested permission from Schools Secretary Ed Balls to replace Copland's governing body with an interim executive board.
A Brent spokeswoman said the governors failed to reassure the council they could “adequately address our concerns”.
Mr Balls is expected to approve the request within days. He backed Brent council's “robust action” in suspending three members of staff last month.
The borough's director of children's services, John Christie, wrote to governors this week refusing their request to remain in their posts.
He raised concerns over bonuses and alleged nepotism, saying the investigation suggested the governors sanctioned the “excessive bonuses” to senior staff and “close relatives” of the headteacher.
Mr Christie said some governors appeared to have “actively colluded” with the headteacher in these matters, while others “failed to monitor” the school's finances properly.
Copland also has a £1 million debt to a property firm which puts its budget at risk.
The scandal emerged when a teacher spoke out about the “gold rush” at the 2,000-pupil school.
Hank Roberts, Copland's former head of geography, sent a dossier of evidence in April to the Audit Commission and Mr Balls calling for an investigation.
Dr Patel defended the payments when Mr Roberts went public. He said at the time: “I am proud to say that at Copland we pay all our staff very well.
“All salaries and bonuses are awarded perfectly legitimately through our school governors pay review committee.”
He said Sir Alan Davies was paid bonuses in recognition of taking over a failing primary school and raising £300,000 in private sponsorship for Copland.
Dr Patel could not be reached for comment today.
Reader views (4)
It can only be a positive thing for the government to take action against corrupt Head-teachers and school governors. One only has to read the 'governet' site on the internet to see that this behaviour is all too common.There is a heirachy in the Governing body that I am a member of, with a definite inner circle who seem to be party to insider information on decisions that seem to have already been made before meetings begin.
I have seen governors suspended for challenging unlawful practices at the school where I am a governor and parent governors treated as second class citizens.
We will be writing to the Secretary of State and hope Mr Balls will take the appropriate action in our case too.
It is time for a change - all too often Governing bodies are acting above the law and it is time this was stopped.
- Interested Party, Burtonwood, 24/06/2009 16:52
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This is what happens when you depart from a national pay scale, transparent and published for all to see.
It will become even worse as the local authorities lose control of their schools and they become privately funded academies.
- Jerry, Uckfield, UK, 23/06/2009 10:28
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If these bonuses were unlawful, shouldn´t criminal proceedings be started? This is a matter for the police, I would have thought.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 20/06/2009 13:10
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Ok, I know there's almost certainly more to it that meets the eye, but the £400,000-plus payments to Sir Alan Davies for raising £300,000 in private sponsorship for Copland looks kinda wrong, somehow.
Then again, I went to school in Alperton back when they threw pieces of chalk at you with unerring accuracy if you didn't pay attention in all classes, including Maths.
Copland was the butt of Alperton's 'pithy' playground humour, as I recall. I feel sorry for the pupils and others looking for better from their administrators, but I have to admit to just a hint of gleefully retro childish amusement too...
- Rogan, Irving, 19/06/2009 19:43
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