Headteacher defends closing school for staff training trip to Barcelona » Education » 24dash.com

A headteacher today defended his decision to close his school for the day as staff jetted off to Barcelona for a long weekend of training.

Twenty teachers from Whitegate End Primary School in Oldham, Greater Manchester, joined the head in visiting the Spanish city last weekend at a cost of £5,691.

The scheduling of the trip, designed to enhance "creative teaching and cultural awareness", meant the school was forced to close last Friday.

Last week it emerged a similar training exercise in Marbella, Spain, for up to 80 staff at Edensor Technology College in Longton, Staffordshire, was cancelled at the last minute.

The college's headmaster called off that two-day conference because of "pressure from media interest" over such trips in the current economic climate.

However, the training weekend for teachers at the Chadderton school went ahead.

The residential programme cost £271 per person and was paid partly from the school's training budget, along with staff contributions.

The trip, booked in April, meant the school was closed as part of its four days marked aside for staff training and curriculum planning in the full term.

Head teacher Adrian Guy said the excursion had the full backing of the school's governing body and parent representatives.

He added he also had not yet received any complaints from parents about the use of taxpayers' money for the Barcelona getaway.

Oldham Borough Council, which announced last month that it may have to axe 850 jobs because of a £17.3 million budget shortfall, said it was the decision of the school governors on how they managed training.

Mr Guy said: "The training residential to Barcelona was organised as part of an ongoing programme for staff to understand the importance of creative teaching and cultural awareness.

"Barcelona was chosen because the artists Miro and Picasso have been studied in school, and the city exemplifies how to celebrate and embrace culture.

"This training is linked to our School Development Plan and had the support of the school's governing body, including parent and council representatives.

"The timing of the visit coincided with the launch of our second whole school Cultural Awareness Month, which will see many visitors come to the school and several educational visits for our pupils throughout October.

"Our work for last year's Cultural Awareness Month was recently celebrated as a model of good practice at the council's Community Cohesion Conference in September.

"During each academic year every school has four inset days that it can use throughout the year when appropriate for staff training and curriculum planning.

"As a result the decision was made last year to close the school for one day last Friday, with the staff involved voluntarily giving up their weekend."

He added that other training programmes in this country were explored, but the Catalonian capital proved to be the cheapest option.

Chadderton South ward councillor Dave Hibbert criticised the school's decision.

He said: "I can understand the need for training but I don't see why this could not have been done locally and as a result it would have benefited the local economy.

"It's a cavalier decision which is going to antagonise people and certainly sends out the wrong message.

"It makes them look like they are being careless about spending money that does not need to be spent and is not their money."

Oldham Council's service director for children, young people and families, Janet Doherty, said: "How school employees are professionally developed is down to each individual school and its governing body to decide within its own budgets."