- The Guardian,
- Thursday September 30 2004
Richard Ewen was removed last Thursday as head of Islington Arts and Media School (IAMS) in north London by CEA@Islington, the private education company running schools in the borough.
CEA said yesterday that it had suspended Mr Ewen and ordered an independent inquiry because of "serious concerns" about financial management at the school, which has a budget deficit of over £800,000.
Mr Ewen's suspension is a further blow to a school which had appeared to be well on the road to recovery after surviving a rollercoaster of special measures, the country's first "superhead", who lasted less than two terms, tumbling exam results, and a chaotic refurbishment.
In their latest report Ofsted inspectors found the school - the George Orwell school until its troubled relaunch under the government's fresh start scheme - to be "effective and rapidly improving", and praised Mr Ewen's "outstanding leadership". Exam results have leapt from 5% achieving five good GCSEs to 45%.
The chairman of the school's governors, Ken Peters, said the governors believed the suspension was "unwarranted", arguing that the grounds cited by CEA did not constitute serious misconduct.
David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, praised the head's success and glowing Ofsted report.
He said: "I have difficulty understanding why he has been suspended, and we are working hard to get that suspension lifted. The last thing this school needs is another bout of instability."
Bill Clark, CEA's director of schools' services, said in a statement that IAMS' budget deficit had risen from £682,000 last year to over £800,000, despite an agreement between the school and CEA that it would be reduced.
"There is a clear expectation in the DfES [Department for Education and Skills] code of practice on LEA-school relations that LEAs should take action in circumstances such as this," he said.
The inquiry relates solely to the budget deficit and there is no suggestion of fraud.
