THE trust overseeing Christian Malford Academy says its new head has helped the school to recover from the disruption of her predecessor’s secret past.

Lesley Haslam, who fleetingly held the top role at the village primary last year, was this month banned from teaching anywhere in the country after she tried to conceal the fact she was fired for gross misconduct from a previous headship.

She took up the role of headteacher at Christian Malford in January 2014 but it was not long before her dishonesty was uncovered.

Ms Haslam, 49, had been sacked from a school in Wythenshaw, Manchester in 2010 over suspicions she had bullied staff and abused a pupil.

She had not declared this in her application to Christian Malford and was suspended after being in the post only a week.

Despite her resigning in February 2014, the Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust (DBAT) which had recruited her, chose to go ahead with a disciplinary hearing.

As a result of this they referred her to the National College for Teaching & Leadership (NCTL) for gross misconduct.

The DBAT said it was “satisfied” with their decision this month to ban Ms Haslam from working again as a teacher for at least two years.

Nine children left Christian Malford School at the time of the disruption, though since then numbers have recovered.

The DBAT’s chief executive officer John Swainston told the Gazette: “This episode undoubtedly caused disruption and concern to the staff, parents and children of the school, and the trust organised a number of meetings for the school community to keep everyone informed of developments.

“Emergency arrangements were swiftly made for an interim head teacher to be in place from February 7 to limit any further disruption to the school.

“We are extremely confident that Christian Malford is now very much back on track under the excellent leadership of its new headteacher Jill Rowe.”

Ian Hughes, chairman of the professional conduct panel, said: “Her appointment to the role of headteacher at Christian Malford School when she had not disclosed the fact of her previous dismissal resulted in a substantial adverse reputational impact on Christian Malford School, whose position in the local community was already difficult, and some parents appear to have removed their children from the school as a result.

“Her actions led to a number of serious adverse consequences to the management and some undoubted disruption to the education of its pupils.”

The panel considered she had a duty to disclose the fact of her dismissal, and said it was “irrelevant” that the allegations forming the basis for her dismissal were later dismissed by the investigating committee of the General Teaching Council, the NCTL’s predecessor.

Ms Haslam may apply for the Prohibition Order to be set aside, but not until January 19, 2017, and if she does so she will have to persuade a panel that she is fit to return to the classroom.

She has a right of appeal to the High Court.