Governor hits out over head's trip expenses

A school governor has spoken out against a former Black Country headteacher accused of making false expenses claims to fund a private in holiday in Jamaica.

Wendy Dugmore, chair of governors at The Meadows Special School in Oldbury, appeared as a witness in the case against Susan Duncan and Margaret Simcox at the General Teaching Council in Birmingham yesterday.

It is alleged that Ms Duncan had funded a diving holiday to the Caribbean using school cash, as well as allowing four members of Ms Simcox's family to attend as part of the school party, without the relevant criminal record checks.

She said: "There was one pupil who was desperate to go. He was very upset that he couldn't." At the hearing, Ms Dugmore was shown a list of items which had been claimed by Ms Duncan, including scuba diving equipment such as a knife and boots. When asked by the panel if she thought it was appropriate she said: "It doesn't match what she would have needed.

"It wasn't appropriate. She wouldn't have needed a knife, or the slate, and she would not have needed to have two lots of everything."

Susan Duncan, known as Angela, also filed expenses claims for handbags, table lamps and greetings cards. She did not attend the hearing due to ill health but denies seven allegations of professional misconduct, claiming the trips to Jamaica and Antigua were risk assessments for future school trips.

An eighth allegation that she inappropriately rem-oved £27,600 from a school budget to put into the Jamaica fund was dropped.

The second teacher Margaret Simcox, known as Rita, who travelled to Jamaica with Ms Duncan in April 2006, also chose not to attend, saying she was nursing Ms Duncan, who she lives with in Pelsall, Walsall. She is accused of making false expense claims and allowing four family members to accompany her on a school trip to Jamaica as well as failing to ensure they had proper checks.

Ms Duncan was seconded away from the school in Dudley Road East, in 2006. She was suspended following the allegations and has now resigned.

The hearing continues next week.