Express & Star

Stafford primary school in limbo as headteacher takes leave of absence with no return date

A primary school has been left in limbo again after its headteacher took a leave of absence with no return date.

Published
Cooper Perry in Seighford

Cooper Perry School, based in Seighford in Stafford, is without a headteacher for the second time in four years, parents have claimed

Current head Caroline Dingle, who came under intense pressure when she was the headteacher at Hurst Hill Primary School in Coseley, is current not attending the school with the chair of governors confirming she has "no date" for when she will return.

Mrs Dingle's absence follows on from the previous headteacher who was signed off on long term sick leave, parents say, with deputies covering the school for almost a year.

Deputies have now been put back in charge of the school until the situation surrounding Mrs Dingle is solved. Miss Philips is the school's acting headtecaher while Miss Leake has stepped up as acting deputy head.

The school's chair of governors, Sallie Churchill, said: “Mrs Dingle is currently not in school, and we have no date when she will return. Our number one priority is our pupils and their education, so we have put measures in place to ensure there is no effect on their education and the school can continue to run as smoothly as possible. We have also put in some additional headteacher support.

"All parents have been notified of these arrangements, and we continue to keep them updated.”

However the latest uncertainty has angered parents.

One, who has asked not to be named, told the Express & Star: "The school should be simple to run and a joyous place to work, so what is going so wrong? Are the governors not selecting the right candidate? Is pressure being put on people we are unaware of?

"All parents want the school to settle and to be run consistently for the children. The children deserve a settled environment."

Mrs Dingle's reign at Cooper Perry was not without controversy. In 2017 she was forced to apologise after originally refusing a girl the permission to take a day out of school to attend her great-grandmother's funeral.

Prior to her time at Cooper Perry she was the headteacher at Hurst Hill Primary School in Coseley, and there too drew angst from parents.

Parents campaigned to have Mrs Dingle and her management team step down following an inadequate Ofsted report.

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