Election Snippet 2 – David Roche and Hoober Ward

Election Snippet 2 – David Roche and Hoober Ward

Getting candidates and councillors but not fit for Public Office?

Given the lack of scrutiny regarding Labour’s recent selection and the eleventh hour departure of Shakoor Adalat, Labour councillor candidate for Rotherham East Ward and not least, their choice of Zahir Munir as agent for Labour candidates, Wendy Cookey, Deborah Fenwick-Green and Tajamal Khan, it seems the Labour Party’s procedures and criteria have long since not stacked up regarding the quality and suitability for Public Office of its selected candidates and councillors.

Public office must bear scrutiny but Rotherham Labour seems to have other views for selecting its candidates. Quantity seems to drive the gravy train.

Take David Roche Labour councillor for Hoober Ward since 2010 (and Cabinet Lead for Adult Care), who is up for election again. Prior to standing in 2010, he had been suspended concurrently as headteacher in two secondary schools.

In June 1999 at Pope Pius (now St Pius) RC Secondary school, Wath- upon -Dearne and Westborough High school in Dewsbury (within Kirklees Local Education Authority) in the 2000s.

Leaving his suspension at Pope Pius, he was appointed to a successful school; Westborough High, Dewsbury in Kirklees Local Authority. Westborough High is not a Catholic school. Roche was suspended from this school attracting much media interest before leaving and becoming self-employed

Westborough is not a Catholic school and was regarded as a highly successful school under his predecessor, Francoise Leake. Roche was given a lengthy suspension on full pay from Westborough High. The long running events attracted much media interest involving the local MP.

Amongst the allegations at Westborough were ‘Management and Leadership concerns’ and ‘his failure to disclose his suspension at Pope Pius to the Westborough governing body when applying for the post of headteacher’. The Chair of Governors had also declared ‘no confidence in him as headteacher’.

Between September 2002 and April 2006, 307 pupils were excluded from the Westborough High School.

This included 87 for assaults on other pupils, 56 for threatening staff, nine for racism, 37 for disruptive behaviour, 6 for sexual harassment and 1 for drugs and alcohol. Pupils were banned from school for varying lengths of time, from one to 18 days.

Headteacher David Roche was suspended on full pay by the governors. It is understood the reason for this could also have been concerns about his handling of complaints relating to the conduct of staff and pupils.

Including, ‘his failure to disclose his suspension at Pope Pius to the Westborough governing body when applying for the post of headteacher’. The Chair of Governors had also declared ‘no confidence in him as headteacher’

Interestingly, Alan Hartley was chair of governors at Pope Pius during Roche’s time as well as being the spouse of Irene Hartley who was John Healey’s PA for years. Alan Hartley was also chair of South Yorkshire Police Authority.

It would be hard not to believe that John Healey did not know about the Pope Pius suspension (or at Westborough High) when Roche went through the selection process to stand as councillor for Hoober in 2010 and again for 2016.

He left Westborough High school towards the end of 2000s to become self-employed and stand as a Rotherham Labour councillor for Hoober Ward in 2010.

Amongst the allegations at Westborough were ‘Management and Leadership concerns’ and ‘his failure to disclose his suspension at Pope Pius to the Westborough governing body when applying for the post of headteacher’. The Chair of Governors had also declared ‘no confidence in him as headteacher’.

David Roche was suspended on full pay by the governing body and it is understood the reason for this could also have been concerns about his handling of complaints relating to the conduct of staff and pupils.

The Dewsbury Reporter also learned (under the Freedom of Information Act), that the governing body who suspended David Roche had tried to meet Kirklees Local Education Authority (LEA) on more than 20 occasions after initially informing them of concerns before being offered a meeting.

They had also requested the LA’s presence when they met staff to inform them of David Roche’s suspension, but they declined.

Fears had been raised by the LA that the school could be placed in special measures prior to its Ofsted inspection by government Education Chiefs .

So where does this link with Rotherham’s Labour Party and MPs? Interestingly, Alan Hartley was chair of governors at Pope Pius during Roche’s time as well as being the spouse of Irene Hartley who was also John Healey’s PA for years. Alan Hartley was also chair of South Yorkshire Police Authority.

It would be especially hard not to believe that John Healey (or other Labour councillors) did not know about the Pope Pius suspension in June 1999 (or later at Westborough High in 2008) when Roche went through the selection process to stand as councillor for Hoober in 2010 and again for 2016.

It seems that Rotherham Labour (including John Healey) does not ask questions in the public interest. Namely, questions regarding ‘fitness for public office’ should always have been asked of all of its candidates and twice in Roche’s case. It seems anyone will do to make up the quota.

Read more: http://www.dewsburyreporter.co.uk/news/local/westborough-high-school-s-toll-of-trouble-1-1340424#ixzz45uRkF0vB

http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/mp-wants-action-schools-dispute-5057953

http://www.thepressnews.co.uk/press-news/second-headmaster-suspended/

http://www.thepressnews.co.uk/press-news/7407/

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/malik-in-call-for-roche-inquiry-1-2157340

http://m.dewsburyreporter.co.uk/news/local/troubled-school-facing-special-measures-threat-as-ofsted-steps-in-1-1340225