Outcry as teachers at Oldham school use staff training day to attend a wedding

A headteacher has defended her staff who attended a colleague's wedding after the school closed early for training purposes.

Pupils at St Hilda's School in Oldham, Greater Manchester, were sent home early on the afternoon of October 30.

Parents received a letter which gave a reason of "staff development training".

One of those parents drove past the voluntary-aided school on the training day and noticed the Tilbury Street car park was empty.

He said he later found more than 20 of the teachers at the wedding celebrations in the nearby Grand Venue.

Father-of-two Kamal Hussain told the Oldham Evening Chronicle: "As taxpayers, we pay their wages and now they're being paid to lie to us and go to a wedding.

"I want an inquiry to the bottom of it because it's unfair on the children."

Headteacher Gillian Pursey told the newspaper: "Staff were given that hour and a half of staff development time to research things for our golden jubilee celebrations.

"They could do that research on or off site, and whenever they liked. Some decided to do it straight away, and others decided to do it after the wedding. It was all agreed with the school governors and is all above board."

PA