Teacher 'being paid after year off'

TIM FLETCHER

AN MP says he is ʻshockedʼ that the deputy headteacher of a secondary school is still being paid despite not having worked for more than a year.

John Stainton-Somers was suspended from his job at Granville School, in Burton Road, Woodville, over alleged misconduct in January last year.

While Derbyshire County Council, the local education authority for the school, said the matter had been 'resolved' to its satisfaction in June, it is understood Mr Stainton-Somers has been off sick ever since.

South Derbyshire MP Mark Todd has now criticised the council for allowing the situation to 'drag on' at an estimated cost to the school of more than £90,000, which includes paying Mr Stainton-Somers' wages and a replacement to cover for him.

Mr Todd has also criticised the fact that Mr Stainton-Somers has continued to work as an unpaid agent for the district's Tory parliamentary candidate, Heather Wheeler, during his period of sickness, and has made a cash donation to the Conservative Party during the same period.

Mr Todd told the Mail: "Such a long delay has been costly to the taxpayer and to the school. This wouldn't happen in the private sector.

"The county council should explain why it has taken so long to bring this matter to a conclusion and what they have done to support the school."

Figures from the Electoral Commission show Mr Stainton-Somers made a donation of £2,000 to the Conservatives last July.

Mr Todd said: "If someone is given sick leave from any job, one has to question whether it's legitimate to use that time to work on political campaigns.

"I don't think it is." Councillor Wheeler, who is also the leader of South Derbyshire District Council, said: "I never comment on contractual matters between Granville School and the county council.

"Mr Stainton-Somers helps me in a volunteer capacity and does it out of work hours and only when he is well enough."

A county council spokesman said: "A member of staff at Granville School was suspended while an investigation was carried out and correct procedures were followed in an appropriate time period.

"This matter was resolved in June, 2009. We cannot discuss individual cases because of employee confidentiality."

Granville head teacher Sylvia Thomas, who was appointed in September - well after the situation began - said she had not had any contact with Mr Stainton- Somers but that the school had 'moved on' and wished to put the matter behind it.

Mr Stainton-Somers did not respond to the Mail's repeated requests for a comment.