Superhead, Radio 4, 23-27 September 2024

Complaint

The former headteacher whose career was the focus of this series complained it was inaccurate in several respects and unfair to him personally. Β The ECU assessed the programme against the relevant standards set out in the Editorial Guidelines.


Outcome

The programme looked at how the career of a β€œcharismatic and revered” educator ended with a ban on his involvement in governing or managing schools being imposed by the Secretary of State for Education. Β The former headteacher challenged several aspects of the accuracy of the programme and whilst in one instance, on whether such an order was β€œusually only for terrorist activity” the ECU agreed there was an inaccuracy, the Unit did not accept this would have led to audiences beingΒ  misled about the kind of behaviour which had led to the ban, or that the programme gave an inaccurate account of the nature of the order itself and its consequences.

Not Upheld