Educating Greater Manchester head teacher banned

Head teacher Drew Povey, wearing a blue suit and tie, speaking to a journalist who is off camera
Image caption,

Drew Povey has been banned from teaching for two years

  • Published

A head teacher who featured in a fly-on-the-wall TV show at his school has been banned from teaching.

Drew Povey, 47, was in charge at Harrop Fold School in Salford, which was the setting of the 2017 Channel 4 documentary Educating Greater Manchester.

But a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) probe found that he had been "off-rolling" pupils by removing them from the school without permanently excluding them.

Mr Povey denied the allegations, but the TRA said his conduct had "fallen significantly short" of standards.

The panel heard that off-rolling is primarily in the best interests of the school, rather than the pupils.

It was also told that there had been occasions on which pupils were recorded as being at school when they were not, which could have put them at risk of harm.

The panel recommended Mr Povey was banned from teaching for two years.

Salford Council placed the school in special measures in 2018 and Mr Povey resigned in September that year, shortly after being suspended over the allegations relating to attendance and exclusions.

Mr Povey's brother Ross, 49, faced the same allegations and was also banned for two years.

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