Britain's highest-paid headteacher steps down from Stockwell school

Britain's highest paid head teacher has left his job at a south London school a week before the start of the new year amid mounting pressure over its running and finances.

Parents of pupils at Durand Academy in Stockwell were told in a letter that Sir Greg Martin, who was reportedly paid £360,000 last year for running the school, a leisure centre and flats on the site, is to retire as its executive head.

He was criticised after it emerged that a dating company in which he was an investor was allegedly registered at the same address.

Sir Greg, whose basic salary of £200,822 was reportedly supplemented by £161,000 linked to the leisure centre turnover, also ran a nursery, junior school and middle school for children aged 11 to 13. Last year he opened a state boarding school in Midhurst, West Sussex.

Michael Gove approved a £17 million grant towards the cost of adapting the stately home for the boarding school and in 2013 he was knighted for his services to education.

Last year the Department for Education’s funding agency aired its concern over risks of “conflicts of interest” in the way the trust awarded contracts and in February the charity commission announced a statutory inquiry into Durand Academy Trust. Head teacher Mark McLaughlin will replace Sir Greg, whom the school said will “continue to be involved in Durand as a governor”.

The school said that it yesterday notified parents that the “hugely respected” executive head teacher would be retiring from next month.

Mr McLaughlin said: “This is a very exciting time for Durand Academy, with plans for the boarding school pressing ahead. Sir Greg has made a huge impact on the educational opportunities offered by Durand and I look forward to continuing to drive this forward in the future.”