Former school bursar fairly dismissed, Tribunal rules

The Head Teacher of the Green School for Girls in Isleworth has won an Employment Tribunal against a former bursar who described her as a “serial workplace bully”.

Pam Butterfield, who has spent more than a decade in charge at the school, was cleared of unfairly dismissing 55-year-old Diane Harcourt.

Ms Harcourt, from Isleworth, was sacked in January 2008 after 14 years at the school because she had “struggled with the complexities of her new role as a member of the school's senior leadership team”. The dismissal came six months after a final warning.

Judges at the South London Employment Tribunal rejected her claim of unfair dismissal following a two-week hearing last October.

During that hearing, Ms Harcourt claimed the “victimisation” was so bad she suffered insomnia, swollen joints and nausea.

Ms Harcourt told judges she and other staff had been forced out by Mrs Butterfield after complaining about her management style.

She described her former workplace as a “divided” school, plagued by “low morale”, “gossip” and a “lack of communication”.

In a statement prepared for an earlier in-school hearing, one ex-teacher said Mrs Butterfield had “bullied and harassed me to the point of breakdown”, while another said he was “destroyed by this woman and her appalling management of what was an outstanding school”.

However, Mrs Butterfield claimed these accusations came from staff with an axe to grind after their dismissals.

Councillor Paul Lynch, Hounslow Council's lead member for education, said:

"We welcome the Tribunal's judgement, and its vindication of the actions taken to protect and support the needs of the school.

"This decision will hopefully bring an end to what has been a drawn-out and sad case. We are pleased the Head Teacher and staff can now focus on the needs of our students."