Head teacher branded 'a hypocrite' over term time holiday

The Head teacher of a school who tells parents to only book holidays out of term time will be relaxing in the Caribbean while the children are back in lessons after Christmas. Jenny Winder was branded a hypocrite by parents at Elstow Lower School near Bedford.

On its website the school, which was graded Outstanding at its last Ofsted inspection, says: "Please make sure you only book holidays in holiday time. Elstow School aims to encourage every pupil to achieve the highest possible levels of attendance in order to take full advantage of the learning experiences available to them."

Outside the school parents did not want to be named when commenting, but one mother said: "It is disgraceful. She is a hypocrite. We can't take holidays in term time so why should she? The school is fast enough threatening parents with fines if they take their children out.

"We had no notification from the school. We weren't told in a letter or anything official. It has come out now and is all over the place on Facebook. She is a laughing stock."

A Bedford Borough Council spokesperson said: "Teachers continue to work throughout the year including school holidays and may be granted leave within term-time at the discretion of the school's Board of Governors."

Chair of Governors, Kevin Hunter, said: "Mrs Jenny Winder is a devoted, well-liked, extremely hardworking and effective Head teacher who has served Elstow School and thousands of children well for over 14 years. She made what we have judged to be a request for a week off during term-time for personal reasons which we have judged appropriate. The shared focus of Mrs Winder and the governing body is the continued provision of the highest standard of education for all children at Elstow School."