Headteacher defends his management style (From Witney Gazette)

Headteacher defends his management style

8:44am Friday 8th September 2006 in Witney By Ruth Keeling

A HEADTEACHER has described how a ban on dangerously flared trousers resulted in protest demonstrations and the exclusion of three students.

Alan Klee, the former headteacher of Carterton Community College between 1994 and 2003 who has been accused of unacceptable professional conduct, was speaking on Thursday at a General Teaching Council hearing in Birmingham.

Mr Klee, who has denied all the allegations, was giving evidence about an incident in May 2003, when a ban on flared hipster trousers resulted in a protest by pupils and parents outside the school.

Mr Klee, who is now head of Minster College in Kent, said: "Students were shouting abusive language and making finger gestures at me and my staff."

He added: "I decided to exclude them immediately."

Mr Klee said discipline had deteriorated at the time and defended his strong approach to pupil behaviour.

He said: "I have been asked to lead two schools out of special measures, and that is because I have got a very strong management style."

He added: "I think all children enjoy a school where they know where they are, and so do the parents."

Mr Klee accused the college's governors of being unsupportive after asking him to be tougher on discipline. He said: "On the one hand, they wanted to see a strong lead, but when it got very difficult, they wanted to back off."

He said governors had not raised any of their complaints with him before the investigation, and criticised some of them for their inexperience and failure to visit the school regularly.

The hearing has been adjourned until December 11, when the remaining evidence will be heard.

The panel will then decide if Mr Klee is guilty of eight counts of bullying and intimidating staff, four counts of showing disregard for college policy, three counts of not engaging with staff, four counts of preventing the governing body from fulfilling its statutory functions, and five further counts of failing his professional duty.

If Mr Klee is found guilty, the three-person panel can reprimand him, or, at the most extreme, strike him off the teaching register. If struck off, he would be able to reapply to the register after two years.