COMPLAINTS involving teachers at a primary school - including an allegation that the headteacher bullied staff - have led to two separate investigations and a spiralling bill for taxpayers.

Durham County Council has launched an investigation following a collective grievance lodged by up to eight teachers against the headteacher of Coundon Primary School, in County Durham, Linda Halliday, who led the school out of special measures.

The most serious allegation made against her is bullying, but the county council has said that the school continues to improve under her leadership.

Meanwhile, deputy headteacher Jonathan Adams has been suspended twice on full pay since October 2008, most recently in November last year for allegedly not following policy in removing a disruptive child from class.

His suspension has been the subject of a report prepared by Broadsword Consultants – a consultancy being paid by the local authority. He could face further disciplinary action.

Several teachers have gone on the sick during Mrs Halliday's tenure, while a number have subsequently left the school, near Bishop Auckland.

A source close to one of the investigations said the bill ultimately being borne by the council had hit £250,000, including the cost of supply teachers to cover for absent staff.

Mrs Halliday joined the school in 2007 and, having been appointed headtecher in September 2008, led the school out of special measures in December that year.

But according to the grievance, her appointment has caused a “catastrophic reduction”

in working conditions.

Mrs Halliday is accused of singling out staff and telling them they would not work as a teacher again and of failing to consult and communicate with colleagues.

The grievance states: “Over the time Linda Halliday has been at the school the sickness rate among teachers had increased massively due to LH’s inappropriate, aggressive management style.

“There is also an undeniable disruption to the education of the children as classes are faced with one supply teacher after another.”

Dave Ford, head of achievement services at Durham County Council, said: “There are currently two internal enquiries involving members of staff under way at this school neither of which affect pupil well being.

“As these involve individual employees it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

Mr Ford said the school, which has more than 200 pupils, continued to improve under Mrs Halliday’s leadership and “thanks to the hard work and support of many staff, pupils and their parents”.

A county council spokeswoman said there had been a number of staff changes, but this was not unusual when a school had to take on such a “challenging agenda”.

Mrs Halliday along with the chairwoman of governors, Dawn Wilson, said they could not comment.

Simon Kennedy, a regional organiser with the NAS/UWT, who is representing Mr Adams, was also unable to comment.

The climb back to standard

COUNDON Primary School was placed in special measures following an Ofsted inspection in November 2006 that stated it was failing to give pupils an acceptable standard of education.

The then leadership of the school was criticised as “not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement required”.

Following a further inspection in December 2008, the special measures were lifted, with the school being described as a satisfactory and improving one.

A new leadership team, with Linda Halliday at the helm, was praised as being highly effective in moving the school forward and improving the school’s performance in a short space of time.

Ofsted inspectors returned in December last year to carry out a monitoring visit, which deemed that the school had made satisfactory progress in making improvements.

However, it was also noted that the school had experienced further changes in staffing, including the “continued use of supply teachers to cover for extended absences”.