New head in place after legal row

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A head teacher has taken up post at a Glasgow primary despite a legal bid to block her appointment.

The Parent Council of St Albert's in Pollokshields failed to get an interim interdict preventing Eleanor McAveety from taking up the job on Monday.

It said Glasgow City Council had failed to consult on the appointment - a claim rejected by the authority.

A judge said the appointment could go ahead and will rule on the parent council's case later this year.

The legal challenge is the latest controversy to affect the head teacher's position at St Albert's in the past two years.

We expected it to be discussed with us. Why put out a parental act and then disregard it? Diane O'NeillSt Albert's Parent Council

In December 2007, former head teacher Frances Driver stepped down after a critical report from school inspectors.

Her deputy, Mariana Sherlock, took over the post until the city council appointed Ms McAveety earlier this year.

She was given the post after her previous school was shut as part of a city-wide school closure programme to save money.

The Parent Council of St Albert's pursued a legal action on the basis that Glasgow City Council had not consulted parents in line with the requirements of the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act of 2006.

The council denied this and said it was bound under employment law to find alternative jobs for head teachers whose previous schools had closed.

'Nothing personal'

A judge refused to grant an interim interdict blocking the appointment of Ms McAveety but did not rule on the validity of the parent council's case. A decision is expected later this year.

St Albert's Parent Council member, Diane O'Neill, said the legal action was nothing personal against Ms McAveety.

"Because of redeployment the council said it did not have to go through that part of the selection," she said.

"But we still expected it to be discussed with us. Why put out a parental act and then disregard it?"