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Teachers went on strike at suspended Wolverhampton head's former school

Teachers went on strike in protest at the leadership of a suspended headteacher's former school, it has emerged.

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David Lewis is currently suspended from St Peter's Collegiate School

David Lewis was suspended by St Peter's Collegiate School in Compton in February as an investigation was launched. The reason for the head's suspension has not been explained.

It has now emerged that teachers at his last school in Yorkshire took strike action over "leadership and management issues".

Teachers sparked a crisis when they voted to walk out in October 2015, a move union bosses said revolved "around issues with leadership and management at the school", where staff had been "subjected to unacceptable behaviour".

Mr Lewis joined St Peter's in 2016 after leaving St Wilfrid's Catholic High School in Pontefract.

St Peter's School

The strike announcement came just weeks after Mr Lewis asked to be released from his contract, it was reported at the time.

A source familiar with the dispute said: "The strike action was due to unreasonable management practices. In other words, the headteacher.

"It was his second time as head of St Wilfrid's. The staff did not welcome this. I believe the person responsible for education in the diocese tried to get several governing bodies to give him a headship before St Wilfrid's succumbed."

Mr Lewis remains away from St Peter's following his suspension.

The Diocese of Lichfield, which runs the school, said in February Mr Lewis was "away from school" and that "extra support" had been brought in during his absence.

The diocese has not commented further on the matter.

The Church of England Academy has been based in the city since the mid-19th century. St Peter's was rated as good by Ofsted at its last inspection in September 2017.

In a message on the school's website he said he had been "thrilled" by recent progress.

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