Around 11 am Denis phoned to find out if I was in and to ask if he could come around for a chat and a cup of tea. He and Tony Richardson had just left the Town Hall.

"How did your meeting go?" I asked. I was curious how it had gone and hoped it was good news.
"Not too bad, I'll tell you all about it when I arrive. I want to show you something." Denis said somewhat mysteriously. I wondered what it could be.
"See you in a bit then." I replied.

When Denis arrived we talked about his and Tony's meeting with Chris Pratt. Tony had tried to change Chris's mind about suspending Denis. He had put forward a good 'legal' argument and precedent and he had asked Chris a large number of relevant questions. Tony had tried in vain to get a specific reason for Denis' suspension. However, all Chris would answer that there was going to be a full investigation to assess Denis' culpability in the 'serious weaknesses' finding. Chris had been concerned at the lack of pace for improvement. He informed that there would be a full Audit of the whole school. Dorothy Houghton, the disciplinary investigator, would invite staff to make comment; and an ex- headteacher of Trafford had been engaged to be the consultant to conduct a management audit.

Tony had also wanted to know why Chris had gone to Press about the suspension of governors' delegated powers. Chris had responded that they had to go to Press, as too many people knew about the 'serious weaknesses' and he had not wanted it to be leaked.

So the Town Hall had officially leaked it. A farce really! Come to think of it, the staff only knew the barest outlines of the OFSTED findings, with the exception of the SMT, the headteacher , the governing body and a small number of LEA officers who had been privy to Ian Thompson's confidential oral debrief. Would or should any of these have leaked a confidential oral report to the Press? Chris Pratt and Co. had made sure the whole world knew of a confidential report, not even in 'draft' print yet. There had been no discussion with Denis, or with the governors; there had been no warning of any kind given at any time. Chris Pratt had gone to the Press knowing the head was away and the staff on holiday. It was a dastardly thing to do in any circumstance - a very damaging thing to do. This action by the Authority did not have much to do with Human Rights, or Natural Justice or even inclusion.

It made me smile, when Denis related that every time Chris Pratt felt challenged by Tony Richardson, he would take recourse by saying - Maybe we could have done it differently, this is the first time we have done this. We have a duty or, we have the power.

WE HAVE THE POWER - The royal WE again! Who was Chris Pratt alluding to - Darth Vader and the evil empire? THEY HAD THE POWER, but did they have the humanity, or the moral rectitude to use 'THIS POWER' honestly and wisely?

Tony had challenged Chris Pratt that by going to the Press, he could hardly call Denis' suspension a neutral act, when the Newspaper article condemned the headteacher: 'The inspection reported serious weaknesses in the management of the school and the council decided to take immediate action.' Chris had argued that this did not mean the headteacher. This raised an important point: 'Who really is the management in a school'?

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