Primary school teachers win dismissal case after being sacked for high Sats grades

Three primary school teachers accused of inflating their pupils' grades following their GCSE results were unfairly sacked, an employment tribunal has ruled.

Rosa Phillips, Liz Tye and Sarah Miles, all denied manipulating SATs results at Our Lady Catholic Primary School in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, after four pupils' GCSE scores showed they had made "low progress" while at secondary school.

An employment tribunal in Cambridge heard that Clive Mathew, head teacher at John Henry Newman, a neighbouring secondary school, had raised concerns over test results from Old Lady after comparing them with seven other feeder schools.

Mr Mathew reported that GCSEs taken by pupils who had come from Our Lady in 2017 were not in line with their previous exam performance.

The hearing was told the teachers were questioned over their support of four vulnerable pupils who had achieved 100 per cent SATs scores in phonics three years consecutively.

Ms Phillips, who had been head of Key Stage Two, said the results were made possible due to the hard work of staff and the support the children received.

Ms Phillips and Ms Tye claimed unfair dismissal from the Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust, which runs 11 schools in Hertfordshire and London. While Ms Miles who was reinstated to the school following an appeal against the decision to sack her in March 2018 claimed constructive dismissal.

In a written ruling employment judge Alan Johnson said their cases were "well founded" and succeeded. A remedy hearing is to be fixed at a later date.

Parents were wrongly told there had been "widespread" and "significant manipulation" of Key Stage results, the hearing was told.

Ms Tye, a Special Education Needs Coordinator, told the hearing: "It was only a small minority of pupils from the school who achieved low progress. I think myself and the others claimants served as useful scapegoats for the failures of John Henry Newman school ".

In response to the tribunal outcome, a spokesperson from the Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust said: "The tribunal hearing to consider claims brought by a number of former teachers of Our Lady School, Hitchin, has now concluded. The Directors of The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust robustly defended the claim that the former teachers were treated unfairly.

"Although the outcome is not in favour of the Trust, we will take the time to read the judgment. The Directors acknowledge that this has been a difficult time for Our Lady School, the teachers and the community."

"The focus for the Trust, the Headteacher, governors and staff going forward will remain on providing a good education, achieving high standards and serving the best interests of the pupils."