Teachers in rift with governors

    STAFF at a Dover school have passed a vote of no confidence in their governing body.
    News of the vote was not revealed to parents who attended the annual meeting at the Dover Girls' Grammar School last week.
    Questions about staff morale and relations between teachers and governors were met with what some parents believed to be prepared answers.
    One parent who does not want to be named, said: "It was clear there was an undercurrent at that meeting. Something wasn't right, but despite the questions that were asked we could not find out what it was."

The staff said reasons for their action included the decision by the governors to advertise for and appoint a new headteacher, although they stressed it had nothing to do with the person appointed.
    One couple say they are now taking their daughter away from the school.
    Lorraine and Alan Sencicle said there was a loss of confidence in the governors and the future of the school.
    "We are sorry that we have to admit defeat in this way," said Mr and Mrs Sencicle who announced on Monday that they will be moving their daughter Annelies to Folkestone Girls' School in September to start her GCSE courses.
    Chairman of the school governors, Mrs Amelia Williamson, said she had not received a vote of no confidence from the staff.
    She said a number of parents had approached her at the end of the meeting to thank her for the way the meeting had been handled.
    The Mercury understands that the no confidence vote was taken by secret ballot just before Easter.
    A Justice of the Peace was called in to run the ballot. The exact result is not known, but it is clear that more than 50 per cent of the staff indicated they no longer had any confidence in the governing body.
    However, the vote has no legal standing - it is merely a statement from the staff to the governing body.
    Nine of the governors, including the four local authority appointees, are due to retire at the end of August. One of those is chairman Mrs Williamson. They could be re-appointed.
    Four parent governors will be elected in September, and one co-opted member is also needed.
    Dover County Cllr Paul Verrill said he had heard rumours of the no confidence vote and was concerned about what was happening at the school.