St Peter's Collegiate School head to leave after just one year

Stephen Walters, who holds the top job at St Peter's Collegiate School in Compton Road, Wolverhampton, will bring an to end his 23-year career with the institution after a troubled last 12 months.

In March, a strike by teachers was planned as staff prepared to walk out over unpaid salary rises. It was called off at the 11th hour after directors announced £60,000 funding had been secured to enable the pay-out and that the increase, including back-pay would appear in the following month's pay packets. The school's directors had lobbied the Education Funding Agency for a loan to pay the teachers and address other areas.

Mr Walters said: "It's been an extremely challenging year since I took over as principal and even prior to that when I and a colleague were acting principals. I feel I have done all I can, working with the directors and staff to get the school back onto an even keel - and the work is still continuing towards this end. Such financial pressures are likely to continue with all schools for the foreseeable future given the likelihood of increased costs and reduced Government funding. This was certainly a contributing factor to my decision, as well as on health grounds, for me to take this step.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the school and the highlights have been working with the students and particularly seeing them experience success, not only in my own subject, mathematics, but across the wider curriculum. The memories will last forever and I won't forget a single thing. However, everything has it's time and I feel this is the right time for me to move on. I will obviously continue to take an interest in how St Peter's develops in the future.

"I hope this provides an insight into why I have made this decision."

A statement on Mr Walters' resignation from Colin Hopkins, chairman of the school's board of directors, said: "The principal of St Peter's Collegiate School Mr Stephen Walters has announced his resignation with effect for the end of August 2016. He has been on the staff of St Peter's since 1993, first as head of the mathematics department, before joining the senior leadership team in 2002, in which capacity he lead many successful initatives including Excellence in Cities, Leading Edge Partnerships and many data analysis tasks.

"Mr Walters was appointed principal in May 2015. He has worked tirelessly for the students of St Peter's during his long career with the school and has always acted with great professionalism and has been clear-sighted about reforms that need to be made, balancing pragmatism with a concern for the whole school community.

"He will be missed and we all wish him every success in his future career.

"The directors are beginning the process of determining the leadership arrangements for St Peter's Collegiate School for September 2016 and I will provide more information about this as soon as I am able to do so.

"I also hope to update you on the financial position and plans for 2016/2017 in the near future."

Paul Nesbitt, leader of teachers' union NASUWT, which clashed with the school over the strike action, said: "

It comes as a shock to me. I would be disappointed if him leaving is part of a knee-jerk reaction by directors over the strike action.

"We've worked with him over the last 18 months or so and he's been a very amenable character. Unfortunately for him, he inherited a school in financial difficulty. We built up a good working relationship with him, the only issue was over the teachers' pay rise, which they were entitled to.

"I'm sorry to see him go, his heart was in the school."