TV teacher won’t be back for start of term
SUSPENDED Educating Greater Manchester headteacher Drew Povey will not be returning to school in time for the new autumn term.
An acting head has been appointed after talks between Salford council and the governors at Harrop Fold High.
Mr Povey and three other members of staff were sent home in mid-July.
The M.E.N. has established that he and the others have been suspended over allegations that in a handful of cases, children were removed from the school register – a practice known as ‘off-rolling.’
Potentially, this could give the impression that the school is performing better than it is, if children expected to do poorly academically are taken off the register.
Mr Povey has vowed to clear his name and that of the school. More than 1,300 people have signed a petition calling for him to be reinstated.
But an investigation into the allegations is still ongoing with current and former staff at the school being interviewed.
A source close to the school said: “They are digging like you wouldn’t believe for a smoking gun against Drew.”
The M.E.N. understands the acting head will be seconded from his current school and his current staff and those at Harrop will be informed of the move on Monday.
Salford council’s Coun Lisa Stone, lead member for children’s and young people’s services, said: “We are finalising arrangements for an interim head and deputy headteacher to take the reins at Harrop Fold while the governors’ investigation continues. “The investigation is detailed and complex and has to be done fully and fairly. “It is in no one’s interests to rush through it. “Details of the appointment will be shared with parents and staff at the start of term in September.” A senior source said: “This move by the governors and the council is going to make coming back more difficult for Mr Povey.” Under Mr Povey, Harrop Fold had a non-exclusion policy and took children thrown out of other schools. Mr Povey, who became head in 2010, gave evidence to a Parliamentary Education Committee in February, during which he said every child deserved an education.
He was one of several people giving evidence to the committee on the needs of disadvantaged children.
Mr Povey raised more than £100,000 for the school last year through a series of leadership talks for businesses and through the sales of his book, Educating Drew.
He was in demand as a speaker and author after becoming the charismatic star of Channel 4’s Educating Greater Manchester.
Some of the cash was used to reduce the school’s debt, which Mr Povey inherited when he took over as head,
The debt, to Salford council, was £3m, but has been reduced to £1.5m.