Ailing school's head off abroad

The principal of a school for disaffected youth south of Auckland will spend the rest of the year in Rarotonga after a damning report of the school.

Therese Ireland-Smith has been at Felix Donnelly College since July last year, working alongside Ministry of Education commissioner Ross Wilson, who was appointed to the troubled school in 2007.

Mrs Ireland-Smith told the Herald she handed in her resignation in May, several days before the Education Review Office released its report which recommended steps be taken that could lead to the closure of the school.

But Mr Wilson asked her to take a holiday for two terms and to review her resignation while she was away.

Meanwhile he will be leaving the school on September 16 and replaced by another commissioner.

But he said he was hopeful the school would be able to reinstate a board of trustees next year.

Mrs Ireland-Smith will stay at the school until she has briefed her replacement and will then join her husband who has had a job transfer to Rarotonga. The couple were married last year, she said.

Sources who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution told the Herald Mrs Ireland-Smith was not well liked at the school and made claims about her management style.

Mrs Ireland-Smith said the allegations were "far-fetched and incorrect" and she had not had any formal complaints about her conduct.

The Herald also got statements from students saying they had been bullied by staff. The ERO report said staff bullied each other and there was a lack of collegiality at the school.

Mrs Ireland-Smith said she and the commissioner investigated properly any reports the school received.

Mr Wilson said appropriate action had been taken but he would not comment as to whether these staff members had been asked to leave the school.

He said he had been pleased with Mrs Ireland-Smith's work at the school and this was why he asked her to take a holiday rather than resign.

She had increased professional development for staff, made innovative changes to the curriculum, made greater use of NCEA units and achievement standards and had strengthened connections with the trusts aligned to the school, Mr Wilson said.

He agreed it was a stressful role and conceded that: "In a job like that you do tend to upset some people."

The ERO has investigated the school four times within four years and in its latest report, released on May 27, said it had "serious concerns about the safety of students".

The decile 1 school was established in 1999 to educate secondary students under the care and protection of Youth Justice and Child, Youth and Family, but now takes students from six trusts.

In her report ERO area manager Elizabeth Ellis said the principal and commissioner were obliged to spend most of their time managing crises in relation to staffing, property, resource provision and students safety.

She recommended the Secretary for Education consider advising the Minister of Education, Anne Tolley, to begin the process that could lead to the closure of the school.