November 6th 2024.
Drew Povey, the former headteacher of Harrop Fold School in Worsley, has recently been banned from teaching following a tribunal. Povey had gained attention for his role on the popular show Educating Greater Manchester, but unfortunately, his career in education has now come to a halt.
The accusations against Povey were serious, with his school being described as a "zoo" due to the dangerous behavior of students. This behavior reportedly escalated after Povey refused to exclude students from the school, leading to concerns for the safety of staff and students.
Povey, who was 47 at the time, had been the executive headteacher at Harrop Fold School, but resigned from his position amidst allegations of "off-rolling" three students in an inappropriate manner. Off-rolling is when a student is removed from the school without being officially excluded, often for the benefit of the school rather than the child.
The misconduct trial, launched by the Teaching Regulation Agency, found evidence that Povey had regularly sent students home without recording it properly. Even his brother Ross, who also appeared on the show as his assistant head, was investigated and banned due to these allegations. The school, unfortunately, closed in 2018.
The accusations against Povey included failing to maintain accurate attendance records, allowing students to be off-rolled, and failing to protect them from potential harm. A senior staff member, Phil Ince, even claimed to have heard Povey using walkie-talkies to order staff to send kids home. The situation had reportedly become so concerning that staff had considered going on strike.
In the end, Povey was found guilty of off-rolling three students before a certain period in 2018, which was seen as an attempt to improve the school's performance. Povey took responsibility for the administrative mistakes that were made, but denied any deliberate plan to off-roll for the school's benefit.
Povey's brother was cleared of some allegations, but others were upheld. The school was ultimately shut down by Ofsted in 2018 due to receiving an "inadequate" rating. Povey resigned the same year, just months after the filming of Educating Greater Manchester. The show's second season was never aired, as the school was placed under special measures.
The TRA, in their statement, acknowledged that Povey's conduct was unacceptable and fell short of the standards expected in his profession. As a result, he has been banned from teaching indefinitely.
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