Head who took unauthorised holiday resigns

A headteacher who took a trip to Cuba without permission during term time has been banned from the profession.

Ian McCann, head of Rosewood Primary School in Burnley, Lancashire, went on an eight-day visit to the Caribbean island in October 2015 to take part in a charity bike ride despite being refused the leave by governors.

After his request was denied on two occasions, the school leader handed in a note from his GP and took the time off, a misconduct panel found.

Mr McCann, 59, was handed a prohibition order and told he can apply to have it reviewed in three years.

The panel heard that in March 2015 Mr McCann submitted a written request for unpaid leave to go on a charity bike ride in Cuba, but it was denied. A second application was also refused.

In October that year, Mr McCann submitted a statement from his doctor which said he was not fit for work due to a "stress-related problem".

He then went on the Cuba trip and on his return was suspended from his job.

The panel heard that Mr McCann had told a teacher at the school that he had spent £2,000 as a deposit for the trip and he was "going to go, regardless of the consequences", adding he had not decided whether to take sick leave.

In a statement, the former headteacher told the misconduct panel that he had been suffering from stress following the death of his father in 2014, and the challenging behaviour of some pupils at his school.

The panel found that Mr McCann had acted dishonestly and was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct.

Mr McCann resigned from his post in February last year.

In a letter to the Lancashire Telegraph in April 2016, Mr McCann said: