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St Olave's A-level row head suspended | St Olave's A-level row head suspended |
(35 minutes later) | |
The grammar school head teacher at the centre of a row about pupils not being allowed to stay on to take A-levels has been suspended. | |
Aydin Onac, head of St Olave's in Orpington, has been suspended by the school's governors. | |
Parents had threatened legal action after some pupils were told to leave the school before the upper sixth year. | Parents had threatened legal action after some pupils were told to leave the school before the upper sixth year. |
It raised questions about schools boosting their league table rankings by restricting who could take A-levels. | |
St Olave's, in the London borough of Bromley, is one of England's top-performing grammar schools. | St Olave's, in the London borough of Bromley, is one of England's top-performing grammar schools. |
But in August it was caught up in a high-profile dispute when some of its pupils were told they would not be re-admitted for their final year. | But in August it was caught up in a high-profile dispute when some of its pupils were told they would not be re-admitted for their final year. |
Legal challenge | Legal challenge |
Parents began legal proceedings that claimed that removing pupils between Year 12 and 13 - the lower and upper sixth - would have been a form of unlawful exclusion. | Parents began legal proceedings that claimed that removing pupils between Year 12 and 13 - the lower and upper sixth - would have been a form of unlawful exclusion. |
The parents challenged whether the school could stop pupils returning because of their expected A-level grades. | |
St Olave's reversed its decision and allowed the pupils to return for upper sixth - and the planned court hearing did not take place. | |
But the school's governors have now decided that the head teacher, Mr Onac, should be suspended. | But the school's governors have now decided that the head teacher, Mr Onac, should be suspended. |
The governors say that the local authority is carrying out its own investigation into the A-level controversy. | The governors say that the local authority is carrying out its own investigation into the A-level controversy. |
The St Olave's dispute began a wider debate about whether schools should be able to stop pupils progressing in this way - and whether filtering out academically-weaker pupils ahead of exams was being used to artificially boost results and league table rankings. | |
Other schools were forced to review their procedures on whether to allow pupils to continue into the final year of A-levels. | Other schools were forced to review their procedures on whether to allow pupils to continue into the final year of A-levels. |
A statement from the chair of governors, Dr Paul Wright, said: "I have been informed that the London Borough of Bromley will be conducting an investigation of St Olave's Grammar School in respect of concerns that have been raised over recent weeks. | A statement from the chair of governors, Dr Paul Wright, said: "I have been informed that the London Borough of Bromley will be conducting an investigation of St Olave's Grammar School in respect of concerns that have been raised over recent weeks. |
"In light of this, and in order to protect the integrity of the investigation, Mr Onac has been suspended from all of his responsibilities as headmaster of the school." | "In light of this, and in order to protect the integrity of the investigation, Mr Onac has been suspended from all of his responsibilities as headmaster of the school." |
"Please remember that this suspension is without prejudice and does not presume any particular outcome. We are committed to full transparency and will be co-operating fully with the local authority in this matter." | |
Bromley Council confirmed "that there will be an investigation into concerns raised". | Bromley Council confirmed "that there will be an investigation into concerns raised". |
This year's A-level results at St Olave's saw 75% of all grades being awarded at A* or A and 96% were at A* to B grades, far above the national average. | This year's A-level results at St Olave's saw 75% of all grades being awarded at A* or A and 96% were at A* to B grades, far above the national average. |