NEW chairman of governors at Chester’s King’s School has confirmed one teacher proposed a vote of no confidence in the headteacher.

But Dr David Hempsall said the move against Chris Ramsey was ‘decisively rejected’.

He spoke to The Chronicle after the newsroom recieved phone calls, emails and letters from students and teachers concerned about issues at the school

Dr Hempsall has told staff that publicity over the case will ‘in all probability’ affect pupil numbers in September.

He believes ‘one or two’ teachers have been briefing older students on management decisions causing rumours to run rife, which he regards as ‘inappropriate’ conduct.

This week he explained how the campaign against Mr Ramsey stemmed from resistance to the modernisation agenda he had been tasked with delivering by governors’, which aims to place King’s within the top 20 or 30 independent schools in the country from its top 50 position now.

Referring to a recent inspection report, Dr Hempsall said: “The inspectors said Mr Ramsey has got a thankless task of consolidation. I think that’s a very good choice of words.

“He’s got to make something which is already excellent, even better – that’s the strategic view – and the second factor is that Chris has got to shine a light in corners of the school where a light has probably not been shone for a very long time.”

Dr Hempsall said a small number of staff felt ‘very discomforted by having these questions asked of them’.

But he added: “I’m convinced all the procedures have been followed but, as an outsider, perhaps not with all the niceties.”

“Having spoken to him (Chris Ramsey), he has said to me that if he were to revisit situations he might have handled them differently.”

The departure of popular head of studies, Bernie Routledge, ‘for personal reasons’ proved a focal point for opponents of Mr Ramsey who suspected Mr Routledge was a victim of the new regime.

“None of us around this table is at liberty to discuss it,” said Dr Hempsall with reference to the confidentiality clause signed by all parties.

“But I can understand that for the pupils, to lose a popular teacher, they felt the way they did.”

Mr Ramsey was the governors’ ‘unanimous choice’ and they were ‘rock solid’ behind him.