Bullying row hits school that helped to make royal wedding dress
Student at top needlework college says hectoring tutor said she stood no chance of a career in embroidery
THE Royal School of Needlework, which helped make the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress, has been accused of not taking allegations of bullying seriously.
A former student has claimed she was subjected to “hectoring” and “aggressive” behaviour by a tutor at the school.
But despite the tutor being reprimanded by the school, Michelle King was later thrown off the three year programme for failing to finish one of the assignments he had set.
Embroiderers at the Royal School of Needlework, whose studios are based at Hampton Court Palace in south-west London, crafted the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress in 2011, winning worldwide admiration for their skill.
Ms King claims her problems began last August, on a short course to win a place on the school’s Future Tutor Programme (FTP), designed to train students to teach needlework to others.
She said she had been told by admissions tutors that they feared she would not be able to cope with the full-time FTP during the two-week entry course.
But Ms King says her tutor placed a disproportionate amount of pressure on her to carry out his assignments, while at the same time devoting much of his time to an American student. The 49-year-old said: “The pressure got more and more. He was hectoring and aggressive towards me.
“It was as if it was a deliberate ploy to put pressure on me to finish pieces to show that I wouldn’t be suited to the main full-time course.
“He said I should withdraw my application because I wasn’t fast enough or committed enough and I didn’t stand a chance of a career in embroidery.
“He was really aggressive to me in front of the whole class.”
Ms King, who lost a leg after being run over by a van and now wears a prosthetic limb, initially failed to meet the standard required for entry onto the FTP after achieving 75 per cent on her entry coursework, rather than the 80 per cent level she had been set.
After appealing against the decision, on the basis that she had been placed under undue pressure by the tutor, she was offered a place on the FTP on condition she achieve 80 per cent on all her future coursework – something she says was not required of other students.
Ms King, who used to work as paralegal after completing a law degree, claims the bullying continued, despite her complaining about her tutor to the course coordinator. “He continued to hector me and pick on me in class.
“He was constantly undermining me,” she said.
When she raised the issue again with the course coordinator, Ms King was told the tutor had been reprimanded for his behaviour towards her.
But in December Ms King was thrown off the FTP course after failing to complete an end-of-year piece of coursework set by the same tutor.
When Ms King appealed against the school’s decision to exclude her from the FTP course, Dr Susan Kay-Williams, the RSN’s chief executive, wrote to her stating that “the RSN has previously acknowledged that [the tutor] was wrong to pass judgement on your ability to handle the Future Tutor Course.
“That was dealt with w/c 16 August when he was reprimanded.” However, Dr Kay-Williams added: “I have considered your submissions carefully but do not find you were harassed and bullied.
“It is the role of the tutor to develop and challenge the students, especially at FT level.”
She also told Ms King that feedback had been gathered from all staff who dealt with her, but that the consensus had been that she lacked the required focus and commitment for the course
Dr Kay-Williams told The Sunday Telegraph: “It’s always very sad when something comes to a similar issue. The matter was dealt with appropriately and our procedures were followed.
“She sent a detailed complaint but when I looked into it, I felt that the issues were not substantiated and that’s how I came to my conclusion.”