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The headmaster of one among Britain’s main faculties stepped down from his position forward of schedule after an incident by which he “misplaced [his] mood” with a colleague led to an impartial investigation, based on correspondence seen by the Monetary Instances.
In a letter to educating workers and oldsters of pupils, Joseph Spence, headmaster of the as much as £55,000-a-year personal college Dulwich Faculty, mentioned he was standing down from his position earlier than the college yr begins subsequent month after an incident at a summer time workers get together.
“As a few of you’ll have heard, I misplaced my mood with a member of workers on the Employees Celebration of 4 July — the one time in my profession that something like this occurred,” wrote Spence, including that he had apologised to the colleague concerned.
“That incident has precipitated me to mirror on the toll which main a posh multinational establishment like Dulwich has taken on me, significantly given the numerous challenges we’ve got all confronted in recent times,” he added.
A separate letter from the college’s chair of governors mentioned the incident “led to a radical investigation by an impartial investigator appointed by the Governors and acceptable motion has been taken to the Governors’ satisfaction”.
Spence, who has served as headmaster of Dulwich Faculty since 2009, was planning to retire on the finish of the educational yr in August 2025, however will now step again into “an ambassadorial and advisory capability”, the letter from Adrian Carr, the chair of governors, mentioned. Spence’s substitute — Robert Milne, present headmaster of rival London personal college Emanuel Faculty — had already been chosen to begin in September subsequent yr. An interim headmaster has been appointed till Milne takes up his publish.
Dulwich Faculty is amongst Britain’s most elite personal faculties — which counts Oscar-winning actor Chiwetel Ejiofor and parliamentarian Nigel Farage amongst its former pupils. Final yr it generated £36mn in internet college charges and it has lent its title to a sprawling community of worldwide faculties, largely in Asia, owned by world faculties supplier Schooling in Movement.
Throughout Spence’s tenure, Dulwich Faculty was amongst a gaggle of London fee-paying faculties that confronted allegations of sexual assault by former and present pupils and permitting a “rape tradition” to take maintain, which emerged as a part of an internet marketing campaign, generally known as Everybody’s Invited.
Extra lately, personal faculties have come underneath stress from the newly put in Labour authorities, which initially threatened to take away their charitable standing earlier than rowing again on the thought. From subsequent yr, nevertheless, personal faculties will lose their exemption from the worth added tax, underneath Labour plans to fund 6,500 new state college educating roles.
“I had at all times needed to get to the purpose the place I had seen us by these challenges and would have the ability to cross on the torch,” mentioned Spence within the letter. He mentioned his advisory position would focus “on the ambition of elevating funds for bursaries and on finishing up ambassadorial duties as required”.
A consultant for Dulwich Faculty and Spence didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
