Teachers on ‘staff training’ dash to wedding party

HEADTEACHER Gillian Pursey

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A suspicious parent turned detective after being tipped off that teachers claiming to be on a staff training day were actually at a colleague’s wedding.

Parents of children at St Hilda’s School, Coldhurst, were told in a letter the school would close early on October 30 - at 2pm not 3.30pm - for staff development training.

Father-of-two Kamal Hussain received information staff were inat a colleague’s wedding in Featherstall Road.

Mr Hussain went to the school during the training time and found an empty car park. The only person at the school. a cleaner, told him the teachers had gone.

Mr Hussain went to the wedding party - at Featherstall Road’s Grand Venue - and found 24 staff at a colleague’s wedding.

The annoyed parent tracked down head teacher Gillian Pursey and asked why they had lied.

“She said the school governors were aware and had agreed to it. It’s just not good enough.

“As tax-payers we pay their wages and now they’re being paid to lie to us and go to a wedding.

“I want an inquiry to the bottom of it because it’s unfair on the children.”

The Chronicle contacted Mrs Pursey who said: “Staff were given that hour and a half of staff development time to research things for our golden jubilee celebrations.

“They could do that research on or off site, and whenever they liked. Some decided to do it straight away, and others decided to do it after the wedding. It was all agreed with the school governors and is all above board.”