GOVERNORS at a troubled school have resigned in support of a headteacher accused of bullying.

Nine members of Coundon Primary School’s governing body say headteacher Linda Halliday was undermined by teaching staff and that the fact was not recognised by council chiefs.

Durham County Council said there had been a breakdown in management, relationships and governance at the school after receiving complaints.

Some staff lodged a joint grievance procedure against Mrs Halliday for bullying.

Another accused deputy headteacher Jonathan Adams of failing to remove a disruptive child from class. Both complaints are subject to appeals.

An emergency action plan put together by the board was this week branded insufficiently robust.

The council said it identified no credible way of improving performance or of addressing the “central issue” of holding Mrs Halliday to account.

The authority warned governors they faced being replaced by an interim executive board.

Governors said Mrs Halliday had done nothing wrong.

Spokesman Phil Graham said: “The crisis is not at the school, the children are happy; the crisis is not with the management. The crisis, as far as we are concerned, is in the Children and Young People’s Services department at County Hall.”

Mr Graham cited exceptional exam results and positive feedback from parents as proof of her competence. He blames a small group of staff for issues.

The governors’ resignation letter reads: “Her (Mrs Halliday’s) continued task would be much easier if the authority would recognise that whilst the majority of staff are supportive and professional in their duties, there is an element who are incapable of accepting their own accountability and who further possess a pathological inability to respond to direction or instruction.”

Tommy Taylor, another governor, is considering taking legal action against the council for threatening to remove him.

Dave Ford, head of achievement for children and young people’s services, said any decision was motivated by pupils’ wellbeing.

He said they had support from Ofsted, which rejected the board’s appeal against the decision to replace them.

He said: “This was seen as a last resort following significant efforts that the council had made to work with the governing body to resolve the issues.

“Our actions throughout this process have been aimed at protecting the education and wellbeing of pupils and to ensure that we’re able to continue to make good progress.”

Mr Ford said Mrs Halliday’s job was not vulnerable.