Disability charity Scope has admitted to a tribunal that it unfairly and wrongly dismissed the head teacher at its special residential school in Nottingham last April. (Private Eye).

Carole Oviatt-Ham had been head of the Rutland Home school for children with severe disabilities for the 28 years it had been open and denied accusations that she had bullied a parent and made a child protection referral without proper discussion. In a letter sent to parents Scope accepted that her dismissal “did not fall within the band of reasonable responses by an employer” that she “did not commit gross misconduct” and that she “was unfairly and wrongly dismissed”.

Scope has made the settlement paid to Mrs Oviatt-Ham the subject of a gagging order.