Teachers who thought headmistress had got the sack ... and threw a party in her office
MuTINOuS teachers were caught on video drinking champagne and chanting that their headmistress would be ‘sacked in the morning’.
Around 100 staff and parents at the primary school threw an impromptu party in Michelle Brindle’s office when they assumed she had been fired.
Relationships between staff, parents and governors are said to have become toxic since she took over in September. Teachers and assistants had filed 16 grievances against her leadership and she threatened to sue parents after they complained about her online. More than 1,000 people have signed a petition against her.
Matters reached a head last week when teachers staged a one-day strike and up to 70 parents protested outside the gates of Bollin Primary School in Bowdon, Cheshire.
The following day the £85,000-a-year head reportedly cleared her desk and was seen leaving the school in tears after a visit from education chiefs.
Amid rumours that she had quit, staff and parents gathered at the school and spent several hours drinking in Mrs Brindle’s office on Friday evening.
But their jubilation was short lived when a video of the party was posted online – the football chant about being ‘sacked in the morning’ could be heard.
Trafford Council closed the school on Monday, citing safety concerns, and up to seven teachers have been suspended for allegedly bringing the school into disrepute. It is not clear whether Mrs Brindle will return.
Mike Barry, 49, who has two daughters at the school and was at the party, said: ‘It was a celebration of an accumulation of hard work and a fight that we thought we had won.
‘There was nothing disrespectful or antagonistic about it. We enjoyed ourselves. It was lovely to see smiles on teachers’ faces. unfortunately, maybe it was ill- considered and the consequences of that are coming home to roost. But that’s the only mistake we’ve made in six months.
‘ People gathered at the school because there was no information given to the staff or the parents. They just didn’t know what was happening.
‘Trafford Council created that situation – there’s been a lack of professionalism in how they have conducted this whole thing. In the meantime we are left with a lot of stress and an unexpected childcare bill.’
Another unnamed parent claimed a supporter of Mrs Brindle had copied the video from a private WhatsApp messaging group to get the teachers into trouble. The parent said: ‘ We’ve been complaining to Trafford Council for months and have sent a dossier of information to the Department of Education. Nobody listened, it shouldn’t have come to this. It’s an absolute mess.’
Last week businessman Howard Morris spoke to the Mail after hearing about problems at Bollin.
He claimed his wife, Caroline, was driven out of her job as deputy head of Mrs Brindle’s previous school, Golborne St Thomas in Wigan. He compared Mrs Brindle to Roald Dahl’s Miss Trunchbull, who terrorises the school in the story Matilda. ‘She is threatening and a bully – she’s almost like Miss Trunchbull,’ he said.
Mrs Brindle, a 40- year- old mother of one, made no comment at her home yesterday.
Sabriah Aljaizani, a parent who supported her and shared the video of the party online, said: ‘ They shouldn’t have been in there, dancing on her grave. They have ruined Mrs Brindle’s life. The school was in an educational mess, the only way we get our kids into the grammar school was through paying for private tutoring – she was trying to sort that out.’
Problems are said to have begun when Mrs Brindle paid for a mock Ofsted inspection, which led to new rules being brought in that teachers say greatly increased their workload. Shortly before half term 19 staff were warned they faced disciplinary action.
One of the the 16 grievances concerned a PE master who was told he could no longer wear his tracksuit to and from the school, which has 239 pupils.
Michael Hyman, a councillor and school governor, said pupils would return in stages from tomorrow starting with the older age groups. He added: ‘The only thing that’s important is getting the school open to provide the pupils with the education they deserve.
‘It’s a great shame matters have come to this. We want to reassure parents this is being treated incredibly seriously and we are doing a lot behind the scenes. Some staff support her and some do not. I’m not taking sides, I just want to facilitate the fastest resolution.’
‘It should not have come to this’