THE SACKING of a headteacher over claims of exam cheating is the second scandal to rock the leading Earlswood Primary School in just four years.
Stephanie O’Grady was forced out of her role at St Patrick’s Primary Academy over claims that the mental maths SATs exams for the 11-year-olds were doctored to improve grades.
The results were annulled amid the claims and it is understood to have meant that none of the Year 6 pupils received a maths grade before they joined their secondary schools last September.
Mrs O’Grady left the role at the Church of England School last year and was replaced by Caroline Glennon.
Chair of Governors, Gemma Gathercole, said the school were notified last year by the Standards and Testing Agency of maladministration of our KS2 SATs mental mathematics results and that these results would be annulled.
She added: “We immediately initiated an investigation to understand how this could have happened and to examine our procedures for handling tests and test papers.
“Appropriate disciplinary measures were implemented and parents were kept fully informed throughout the process.
“We have reviewed and strengthened our procedures for test administration and are confident that they are now more robust.
“St Patrick’s CE Primary Academy is committed to providing an excellent rounded education, enabling our pupils to achieve their individual potential, within a caring and supportive Christian environment.
“We pride ourselves on high standards and high expectations.
“In this instance, the actions of one individual did not meet those expectations.
“We followed our disciplinary procedure and appropriate actions were taken.”
The latest scandal comes just four after deputy headteacher Christopher Davis, who had been teaching at the school for 20 years, was jailed for 14 months for downloading and making over 11,000 child porn images up to the most serious and horrific level five images.
Some of the images he had were of nine and 10-year-old girls at schools where he had worked, changing for sports lessons or bending over in the classroom.
As well as being jailed, he was also ordered to be on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and banned from working with children.
In a separate investigation, his brother, Timothy Davis, who he lived with ath their mother’s Solihull home, was given a three-year community rehabilitation order after pleading guilty to downloading child porn.
