The controversial resignation of a South Pembrokeshire secondary school headteacher has been rejected.

As reported in our last issue, the Observer had received a copy of a letter to colleagues from Jan Kingston, of Greenhill School, Tenby, which tendered her resignation.

In the letter, Mrs. Kingston said: "It is very clear that at a number of levels, there is a widespread lack of trust and confidence in my ability as headteacher to lead our school forward.

"I believe the long-term interests of our school, pupils, parents and staff would be best met by a change of leadership and I have resigned."

A spokesman for Pembrokeshire County Council also confirmed last week that Mrs. Kingston was leaving her post at the end of the year, but otherwise made no other comment.

Mrs. Kingston, who has a proven track record of raising standards, was appointed by the governing body in March 2009, with the express intention of achieving high standards for pupils at Ysgol Greenhill School.

However, a press release issued by the school this week said that 'both Mrs. Kingston and the governing body have met with strong resistance in trying to implement the improvement strategies.'

The statement continued: "The number of children coming through the system in the Tenby area has declined by a third in recent years - from 1,500 pupils in 2008 to just over 1,000 in 2014. This is due to the natural fluctuation of the area's demographics and is not a reflection of the school's ability to attract pupils. Consequently, the number of staff required has also been in decline which has resulted in some heads of department having fewer staff and less money, but nevertheless continue to be paid the salary supplement for the responsibility.

"Estyn were quick to observe this inequity and recommended that a new staff structure be implemented and stated that they would re-inspect the school in the autumn of 2015.

"A new structure was proposed last June and staff were offered the opportunity to give feedback. Unfortunately, teaching associations strongly objected to the changes proposed. This is despite the fact that any teachers who would lose their additional teaching role or responsibility would have their salary safeguarded for three years. One union in particular was invited to declare their specific objections, but failed to do so over a period of months, thus leaving the governing body with no alternative except to implement the new structure.

"The reluctance to accept the necessary changes has brought about a very protracted and unsettling period for staff, management and governors of the school. Tensions reached a peak in a staff meeting at Easter. Mrs. Kingston tendered her resignation as she felt she was unable to attain the high standards she was aiming for. However, in a recent staffing and curriculum meeting held at the school, governors rejected Mrs. Kingston's offer of resignation.

"Governors and Mrs. Kingston met on a number of occasions, at which all parties agreed that they were resolutely committed to continue the drive forward, despite the resistance to change and Mrs. Kingston stated that she would withdraw her resignation. This decision was announced to staff at a meeting convened at the school on Tuesday, May 12.

"Following this announcement, a copy of the original letter written by Mrs. Kingston to staff back in April was provided to the Tenby Observer. This resulted in an article being published in last Friday which wrongly stated that Mrs. Kingston would be leaving at the end of the year."

The statement concluded: "A governor, who does not wish to be named, said: "It would appear that someone is trying to force the head's resignation despite the refusal of the governors to accept it."

When we contacted Pembrokeshire County Council about the matter this week, a spokeman told us yesterday (Thursday): "At the school governors staffing committee meeting on Tuesday, the headteacher withdrew her resignation and the withdrawal was accepted. The headteacher is keen to continue the programme of improvements in the school and has the full support of the governing body to do so."

Yet it appears the whole matter is still being questioned.

We received a further letter yesterday (Thursday) from a parent, teacher and Tenby resident who did not wish to be named, but who felt the need to 'shed light upon a situation which the headteacher and chairman of governors seem determined to spin.'

The letter stated: "Within her resignation letter to staff, Mrs. Kingston clearly outlined her reasons for wishing to leave her post as headteacher of Greenhill School. Expressing her belief that the school would benefit from new leadership and citing a lack of trust and confidence in her as headteacher, it was clear to staff that this was a decision that had not been taken lightly. Sending a letter to every individual member of staff was seen as a clear indication that Mrs. Kingston had made the decision to move on. Having written such a seemingly honest and open letter to her staff, the subsequent u-turn understandably raises the question of integrity. As a body of professionals, the staff at Greenhill deserve to be treated in a professional manner. They deserve a system of transparency. They deserve to have their concerns listened to and dealt with in a professional manner. When the majority is calling for change, proper leadership and an end to bad practice, it is incredulous to think that a minority group of headteacher and handful of governors have the short-sightedness to continue down an ever more farcical route."

It was also claimed in the letter Mrs. Kingston was yet to address the staff regarding her withdrawal of resignation.

FOOTNOTE: After receiving two separate copies of Mrs. Kingston's resignation letter last week, we asked Pembrokeshire County Council about the matter and duly included their response with our story. At no time before we went to press last Thursday were we informed the resignation had been rejected.

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