The headteacher of the Welsh school who banned a pupil from normal lessons for having his head shaved to raise money for a cancer charity has expressed his dismay at being criticised in the press. (See Charity Matters October/November 2013, NO SKINHEADS HERE, LOOK YOU)

Rodney Francis wrote to parents after his ill-conceived decision caused more than 250 pupils to walk out in disgust, claiming that his Milford Haven School was “at the centre of public attention because of events relating to a breach of the school rules” rather than events set in motion by his own poor judgement. He expressed his desire to “move forward” (don’t they all?) and claimed that this was in the interests of all pupils, rather than his own. In what came across as a threat Francis also reminded parents that they and their children had signed a home-school contract to abide by the school rules.

A few weeks before the above incident, and shortly after Francis was appointed, the school was the centre of attention when it cut back on the amount of time pupils were allowed to spend raising money for Children in Need, an action that angered parents who felt that involvement in such charitable activity was as important for the development of their children as academic study.