PRIMARY school headteacher Simon Burrell has been accused of forgery and defrauding Ruskin Junior School of tens of thousands of pounds during his time at the school.

The 41-year-old, of Faringdon, who left the Stratton school last summer to become headteacher at the Grange Federation, appeared at Swindon Magistrates' Court on Wednesday charged with three counts of fraud, amounting to £19,000, and with one count of making a false instrument with the intent for it to be accepted as genuine.

He stands accused of abusing his position of trust at the school, in Wordsworth Drive, by committing three counts of fraud between January 1, 2011 and May 31, 2013 with false overtime claims to Swindon Borough Council, claiming tutelage of Ruskin pupils and making dishonest claims for one-to-one tuition for personal gain.

He is also accused of falsifying the signatures of Ruskin's governors on overtime claim forms.

During court proceedings, magistrates decided to commit the case to Swindon Crown Court, where Burrell will appear on August 7.

He has been released on bail until that time, on the condition he does not go to Ruskin or Grange Infant Junior schools, nor has any contact with staff, past or present, at Ruskin Junior School.

In January, as police investigations continued, Burrell was suspended from his duties as headteacher at the Grange Federation in before being charged with the offences on June 8.

In a letter to parents Paul Cooper, chairman of the governors at Ruskin, said: "Mr Burrell has been the subject of a police investigation relating to financial irregularities that allegedly took place during his time at Ruskin Junior School.

"As a result of this investigation, Mr Burrell was charged by police on the 8th June and appeared in the magistrates’ court today, July 15. The charges relate to alleged financial fraud and forgery.

"We can assure parents that none of these proceedings have had a detrimental effect on any of the children in the school."

Grange Federation chairman of governors Sarah Hurley said Louise Seavill would continue as acting headteacher while proceedings were ongoing.

In a letter to parents she said: "Mr Burrell has been the subject of a police investigation relating to matters at his previous school and has been suspended from his duties as head teacher by the Chair of Governors, on behalf of the governing body during this time.

"Suspension is a neutral act designed to protect all parties involved during an investigation and, because this was a police investigation, we were under strict instructions not to release any information into the public domain to protect the integrity of that investigation.

"We should make it clear that being charged for an offence or offences, in no way implies being found guilty of any offences. We would also stress that the charges do not relate to any issues since his appointment at this school.

"In what could have been an unsettling time for the schools, the governing body have been very impressed with the calm determination, focus and dedication of Mrs Seavill and all the staff at both schools, who have worked extremely hard to ensure that all the children at our schools receive a great education and continue to enjoy their time at school."