The headteacher of Northfield Academy has resigned amid efforts to improve the school.
It is understood Douglas Watt has quit after three and half years in the role at the Aberdeen secondary.
He was appointed as substantive headteacher in March 2020 with his career focused on transforming the school and changing public perception.
Northfield Academy was visited by Education Scotland inspectors in January and received the lowest grade in all four areas assessed – including leadership.
The damning findings raised by the watchdog included a lack of “positive relationships” across the school, and a lack of focus on students’ performance and career prospects.
At the time, Aberdeen City Council said a three-year plan to make improvements at the school was already in place.
The education committee also called a special session where officers presented a detailed plan for addressing the issues.
Northfield Academy headteacher quits
The ongoing plan includes adding new courses to the curriculum, adding new responsibilities for teachers and increasing efforts to fill vacancies.
Now, the council will have another important position to fill.
Aberdeen Labour has written to the council for clarity on how the improvement plan will progress following Mr Watt’s “sudden departure”.
Leader M. Taqueer Malik said: “This is bad news for the school which was put into ‘special measures’ by the council in March this year.
“We have written to the chief executive asking for a statement as to the current position at Northfield School in order that the council is fully aware of the reasons for the sudden departure.”
Concerns about pupil behavior
The report findings were published after teachers at Northfield Academy announced plans to take strike action over inadequate protection from student violence.
One of the maths teachers told the Press and Journal the situation at the school had become “intolerable” with pupils throwing textbooks and calculators, as well as kicking his classroom door off its hinges.
He also blamed the abuse from pupils for a mini-stroke that he suffered last year.
Union members first lodged their dispute in June 2022 and 89% later voted in favour of industrial action.
As a result, some candidates for teaching positions at the school withdrew their applications.
Mr Malik added: “Only last week we were informed by our trade union colleagues that behaviour at schools is still not being treated seriously enough by the council.
“Northfield Academy is a very good school and pupils, parents, teachers and auxiliary staff all need to be told what is going on and what the resignation means for the school going forward.”
Aberdeen City Council has been contacted for comment.
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