Sharon Shoesmith criticised over headteacher’s sacking
Baby P council chief Sharon Shoesmith is facing fresh attacks on her character over claims that she "callously" sacked a popular headteacher.
Children and parents protested outside the John Loughborough Seventh-day Adventist School in Haringey over the treatment of the head, June Alexis, in 2008.
Ms Shoesmith was allegedly "dishonest" in dismissing Dr Alexis, who claims Haringey's former children's services director wanted to dilute the school's religious ethos.
The claims were made at an employment tribunal hearing the case Dr Alexis is bringing against Haringey council for unfair dismissal.
The school had been part of Haringey's state education system, which was overseen by Ms Shoesmith, since 1998 but GCSE results were not up to scratch and Dr Alexis was appointed in 2005 to improve grades. She focused on raising standards in English and maths, while previously the school had concentrated on vocational courses that were equivalent to GCSEs. In the following years overall GCSE grades slipped but English and maths results improved.
East London Employment Tribunal heard that Ms Shoesmith oversaw a "rushed" report into the school's performance before calling Dr Alexis for a meeting in February 2008 to inform her she was no longer wanted.
Eston Guy, a former school deputy head who was brought in as a consultant to help Dr Alexis, said Ms Shoesmith spoke to her "in a callous manner which appears to have been well rehearsed to put down the head teacher and report that Dr Alexis was not suitable to lead the school."
He added: "The situation was embarrassing and brazen, with no attempt to account for Dr Alexis's achievements. The manner in which the report was given led her to believe she was being dismissed in a dishonest and unprofessional manner."
Both Haringey council and the school deny any wrongdoing. The panel reserved judgment.
In April, Ms Shoesmith lost her appeal over her sacking in December 2008 by Haringey over the failure of social workers to protect 17-month-old Peter Connelly, who died in 2007 after months of abuse at the hands of his mother, her boyfriend and their lodger.
