Dudley Council is facing mounting pressure to address safeguarding concerns after former headteacher Russell Bond pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children. The authority has declined to hold a meeting with parents, despite calls from local councillors and an MP to provide reassurance ahead of the new school term.
Arrest and Immediate Action
Bond, 41, from Walsall, admitted one count of possessing indecent images when he appeared before Birmingham magistrates on August 6. He was registered as a sex offender and is due to be sentenced at a later date. Bond had served as head of both Brockmoor and Brierley Hill primary schools, which are part of the Black Country Federation.
Tim Sunter, co-chair of governors at the federation, said the governing body was informed of Bond's arrest in October last year. He was immediately prohibited from entering either school, barred from any contact with children or staff, and his access to all IT systems was disabled. His employment was subsequently terminated by the school and the local authority.
Council's Silence on Safeguarding
When approached by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Dudley Council said there were no plans for a meeting with parents. The authority also declined to answer questions about whether an investigation into safeguarding issues had been conducted and what support was being offered to families. Instead, it referred to the statement from Sunter.
Sunter said the governors' first concern was whether any children from Brierley Hill or Brockmoor schools had been involved. He added that police had repeatedly reassured them that no children were involved and that the offence took place away from the school.
Parents Demand Answers
The case has sparked outrage among parents who say they were kept in the dark about the arrest. Brockmoor councillor Steve Edwards said the initial letter to parents stated Bond was taking time off for personal issues. When the court case emerged, parents' backs were up.
"People feel frustrated and like they have been kept in the dark, when this was coming out there has been no urgent response from anybody," Edwards said. "The role of the local authority should be to support parents, children and staff but the local authority, at this point, has got no interest whatsoever."
Stourbridge MP Cat Eccles is joining forces with Edwards and Brockmoor councillor Alex Dale to demand reassurance. Eccles said: "Myself, Steve Edwards and Alex Dale are asking the school Trust, governors and LA (local authority) to meet with some parent representatives ahead of the new term, to provide some reassurance to families."
Threat of School Boycott
Eccles noted that Bond was put on leave as soon as the offence came to light, but said the LA, governors and Trust should agree to meet and give reassurance to parents and guardians. The situation could escalate when the new term begins, with parents threatening to keep their children away from school until they receive the answers they are calling for.
