School suspends two more staff
Reporter: KAREN DOHERTY
Date published: 01 April 2010
Business manager and secretary join head on home leave
THE business manager and a secretary have been suspended at Our Lady’s High School in Royton.
The suspensions come nearly three months after head teacher Roger Whitaker was sent home from the 1,200 pupil Catholic secondary, but it is not thought the two are connected.
Chairman of governors Mike Aston confirmed the latest suspensions but would not comment further.
He added: “When someone is suspended it is purely a neutral act and an investigation takes place.”
A spokesman for Oldham Council said the latest suspensions were a matter for Salford Diocese.
However, Opposition Labour leader Jim McMahon is angry that the Oldham Chronicle heard about the suspensions before councillors.
He added: “We do have a problem with education. All these things keep going on in schools and we do not get any notice until they are in the paper.
“Councillors should know what is going on. Our Lady’s is independent from council control but there is a public interest.”
Work is under way to merge the Vaughan Street school with St Augustine’s, Werneth, in 2012.
The new Roman Catholic high school in Chadderton will be one of the first projects completed by Oldham’s £266 million Building Schools for the Future (BSF) overhaul.
Mr Whitaker was appointed head teacher in 2003 and praised for his outstanding leadership by Ofsted inspectors in 2007.
However, there are understood be concerns about time Mr Whitaker said he was spending away from school on BSF business.
His deputy, Carol Spillane, has been appointed acting head and Mr Aston confirmed that the investigation was on going.
Both Catholic schools are receiving council support to make sure that their budgets are balanced when they close and do not leave local taxpayers out of pocket.
Our Lady’s has also been receiving additional bursar support to manage its budget since Mr Whitaker was suspended.
Canon Eugene Dolan, chairman of governors at St Augustine’s, said the suspensions would not affect the work to merge the schools.
