9:50am Friday 12th March 2010
By Gareth Palmer
AN assistant headteacher has been sacked from a secondary school in Colchester.
Dennis Mason has lodged an appeal against his dismissal from Alderman Blaxill School, in Paxman Avenue, Shrub End.
He joined the school in 2008 as one of five assistant heads brought in by Jonathan Tippett when he took over as the school’s executive headteacher.
Mr Tippett confirmed Mr Mason had been sacked, but declined to explain the reasons.
He said: “He has appealed against that decision and for confidentiality reasons relating to that, I cannot go into any more details.
“Allegations were made against Mr Mason, but what I will say is that the reasons behind his sacking raised no issues about child protection.”
Barbara WIlliamson, a member of the school’s interim executive board, said: “I honestly do not know anything about the situation. At our most recent school council meeting, I was told he wasn’t in the school any more.
“From my meetings with him, I found he was a good man and I liked him.”
Fellow board member Richard Bourne declined to comment.
Jerry Glazier, Essex general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said the union was not representing Mr Mason. Mr Mason, who specialised in design technology, could not be contacted for comment.
Alderman Blaxill faces closure in 2015 under Essex County Council’s plans to reshape secondary education in Colchester.
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