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| Head of grammar school that forced out A-level students resigns | Head of grammar school that forced out A-level students resigns |
| (2 months later) | |
| Aydin Önaç quits St Olave’s school in Orpington, where Guardian found policy of culling pupils who were falling below A grades | |
| Richard Adams Education editor | |
| Fri 17 Nov 2017 18.13 GMT | |
| Last modified on Mon 27 Nov 2017 13.35 GMT | |
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| The headteacher of a top grammar school has resigned following weeks of controversy after a Guardian investigation revealed the school’s policy of forcing out pupils who were deemed unlikely to achieve the highest A-level grades. | The headteacher of a top grammar school has resigned following weeks of controversy after a Guardian investigation revealed the school’s policy of forcing out pupils who were deemed unlikely to achieve the highest A-level grades. |
| Aydin Önaç, the headteacher of St Olave’s grammar school in Orpington, south-east London, until his suspension last month, has announced his resignation, the school told parents and staff on Friday. | Aydin Önaç, the headteacher of St Olave’s grammar school in Orpington, south-east London, until his suspension last month, has announced his resignation, the school told parents and staff on Friday. |
| “The headmaster will, for personal reasons, be departing from St Olave’s grammar school at Christmas,” Paul Wright, the archdeacon of Bromley and Bexley who chairs the school’s board of governors, said in a statement. | “The headmaster will, for personal reasons, be departing from St Olave’s grammar school at Christmas,” Paul Wright, the archdeacon of Bromley and Bexley who chairs the school’s board of governors, said in a statement. |
| Under Önaç’s leadership, the selective school had rocketed up national league tables for A-level results over the last seven years. But a Guardian investigation revealed that pupils were being ruthlessly culled midway through sixth form if they appeared unlikely to gain A and A* grades. | Under Önaç’s leadership, the selective school had rocketed up national league tables for A-level results over the last seven years. But a Guardian investigation revealed that pupils were being ruthlessly culled midway through sixth form if they appeared unlikely to gain A and A* grades. |
| The affair highlighted the illegal practices used by a number of high-achieving schools across England, designed to boost league table positions by pushing out weaker candidates likely to get lower grades and so bring down a school’s averages. | The affair highlighted the illegal practices used by a number of high-achieving schools across England, designed to boost league table positions by pushing out weaker candidates likely to get lower grades and so bring down a school’s averages. |
| The Department for Education has now written to all schools in England, telling them that enrolled sixth-formers cannot be removed over academic ability and can only be excluded in response to a behavioural issue. | The Department for Education has now written to all schools in England, telling them that enrolled sixth-formers cannot be removed over academic ability and can only be excluded in response to a behavioural issue. |
| Pupils who in some cases received B grades at AS-level or equivalent internal exams were pushed out at the end of year 12, with parents who protested told by Önaç that their children would not be entered for A-levels. | Pupils who in some cases received B grades at AS-level or equivalent internal exams were pushed out at the end of year 12, with parents who protested told by Önaç that their children would not be entered for A-levels. |
| Entry to the school’s sixth form was already highly rigorous, with pupils requiring A and A* grades in their GCSE exams for admission. | Entry to the school’s sixth form was already highly rigorous, with pupils requiring A and A* grades in their GCSE exams for admission. |
| The issue broke into the open at the start of the school year when St Olave’s attempted to illegally exclude 16 pupils from year 13, but then backed down after a legal challenge from families of the pupils affected. | The issue broke into the open at the start of the school year when St Olave’s attempted to illegally exclude 16 pupils from year 13, but then backed down after a legal challenge from families of the pupils affected. |
| Staff and parents had clashed with Önaç over the policy, and bitterness over it led to series of resignations from the board of governors, with the previous chair and deputy chair leaving in recent months. | Staff and parents had clashed with Önaç over the policy, and bitterness over it led to series of resignations from the board of governors, with the previous chair and deputy chair leaving in recent months. |
| Parents and staff were informed of Önaç’s departure in an email from the school’s acting head. | Parents and staff were informed of Önaç’s departure in an email from the school’s acting head. |
| “He leaves, with great sadness, a school which is now regarded as one of the nation’s most outstanding schools and one in which parents and pupils can have great pride and confidence,” Wright said. | “He leaves, with great sadness, a school which is now regarded as one of the nation’s most outstanding schools and one in which parents and pupils can have great pride and confidence,” Wright said. |
| “Mr Önaç would like to thank all those governors, staff, parents and students who have supported him over the last seven years and extends his very best wishes to them for the future.” | “Mr Önaç would like to thank all those governors, staff, parents and students who have supported him over the last seven years and extends his very best wishes to them for the future.” |
| Tony Wright-Jones, a parent and former school governor, said his phone had been buzzing with messages in reaction as the news spread that Önaç was stepping down. “I am absolutely delighted. People are just so glad to see the back of him,” Wright-Jones said. | Tony Wright-Jones, a parent and former school governor, said his phone had been buzzing with messages in reaction as the news spread that Önaç was stepping down. “I am absolutely delighted. People are just so glad to see the back of him,” Wright-Jones said. |
| “Obviously the inquiry is still going on but I have received a stream of positive messages from parents and ex-parents, all delighted at this news. | “Obviously the inquiry is still going on but I have received a stream of positive messages from parents and ex-parents, all delighted at this news. |
| “I hope the inquiry does continue, not just to uncover the exclusions of pupils going from year 12 to year 13 but to uncover other issues that may have been going on at the school that I and other people were concerned about.” | “I hope the inquiry does continue, not just to uncover the exclusions of pupils going from year 12 to year 13 but to uncover other issues that may have been going on at the school that I and other people were concerned about.” |
| Önaç was suspended as headteacher in October, after the London borough of Bromley announced it would be conducting an investigation “in respect of concerns that have been raised over recent weeks”. | Önaç was suspended as headteacher in October, after the London borough of Bromley announced it would be conducting an investigation “in respect of concerns that have been raised over recent weeks”. |
| Önaç gained notoriety after he joined St Olave’s in 2010 when he ate a baked spider in assembly to raise money for the school. He was previously headteacher at Fortismere, a popular comprehensive in north London. | Önaç gained notoriety after he joined St Olave’s in 2010 when he ate a baked spider in assembly to raise money for the school. He was previously headteacher at Fortismere, a popular comprehensive in north London. |
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