St David’s High School governors issue letter of “no confidence” in Flintshire Council
The governing body of St David’s High School in Saltney has issued an open letter expressing “no confidence” in Flintshire County Council’s handling of the school, claiming a “sustained pattern of unfair, unjustified and discriminatory conduct”.
The letter, signed by governors, details a series of disputes dating back to 2021.
It states that repeated attempts to resolve issues with the local authority had broken down, leaving the governing body with “no alternative” but to go public.
In its statement, the governing body accuses the council of poor judgement, a failure to discharge statutory duties, and breaches of its duty of care to pupils, staff and leadership.
The letter alleges that Flintshire Council has undermined the school’s integrity, issued an unjustified statutory warning notice in 2023, and made “defamatory” public statements.
Governors highlight concerns over school transport policy, a warning notice later withdrawn after appeal to the Welsh Government, and public claims about financial management which they say were unfounded.
They also accuse the council of briefing Estyn and the Welsh Government with unsubstantiated allegations about the headteacher’s integrity.
The letter further criticises the council for including closure of the school as an option in a consultation, without prior discussion with governors.
It claims that despite Flintshire Council acknowledging strong school performance to Estyn in late 2023, the authority continued to pursue the warning notice.
Governors also say a 2024 announcement of major investment has not been acted upon and raise concerns over the council’s recent move to consult on removing the governing body.
The letter argues that this step was taken despite recent Estyn findings which, it says, contained only a minor comment on governance.
The governing body states: “We believe that St David’s High School has been the subject of selective and disproportionate use of statutory powers by FCC without the provision of any substantial supporting evidence and this strongly suggests that the ultimate aim is the closure of St David’s High School.”
It adds that no senior education leaders or cabinet members have attended any governing body meetings in the past five years, despite repeated invitations.
The open letter concludes by demanding the council provide evidence to support its actions, issue an apology for public statements, clarify the promised investment, suspend any action to remove governors, and commission an independent review of its decision-making processes.
The school also highlights the impact on headteacher Steven Richardson, who has been receiving treatment for cancer.
Governors say repeated accusations and secretive consultations have caused significant stress and reputational harm.
In response, a Flintshire County Council spokesperson said: “As a council, we wish all our Flintshire pupils to get the best education possible. We monitor and support all our schools with the aim of working with them to promote best practice and deliver a quality education for all our learners.
“St David’s High School has recently been inspected by Estyn, an independent body, and has been placed in the category of Special Measures. Estyn’s report was published in July 2025 and the Council has taken appropriate action to provide support to St David’s High School, to implement effective measures in relation to Estyn’s recommendations and improve outcomes for learners. As a result, the Council has started the necessary statutory processes. We will not be making further comment until these processes are concluded.”
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