David Sheppard, executive head of the Leathersellers’ Federation of Schools, covering Prendergast, is a liar. He lied to parents, then to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and, finally, in open court to the judge in a first tier tribunal, Fiona Henderson.
Liar: David Sheppard, executive headteacher, Prendergast
Journalists rarely get to write this kind of thing because UK libel law requires such a high burden of proof that it is often safer to leave out uncomfortable facts. But in this case I have a legal ruling as evidence. It follows a Freedom of Information (F0I) request I made back in May 2015. It has taken this long to get a ruling.
The ruling says:
48 i a) We are satisfied that further information was held that was in scope and was not disclosed to the Commissioner, this now forms part of the closed bundle.
b) The document attached to Mr Wheal’s email of 29.7.16 fell within the scope of request 5 and should have been disclosed to Mr Wheal.
Basically the school repeatedly said information did not exist. For example it said it sought advice from lawyers verbally and therefore had no written record of the request and no written response from the lawyers. They were later forced to admit the emails did exist and show the judge.
Everyone knows you get that sort of thing in writing. He lied to them the ICO and the judge.
Truth, Honour, Freedom and Courtesy
That’s the motto of Prendergast school, the original school in the federation.
I have said before that I felt he, and the governors, were not fit to lead an educational establishment. I have now written to the Secretary of State for Education, Justine Greening. It’s up to her what she does.
Justine Greening,
I attach a recent legal ruling in a first tier tribunal that clearly shows that David Sheppard, Executive Headteacher of Prendergast schools in Lewisham (the Leathersellers’ Federation), repeatedly lied to conceal documents and emails. He lied to parents, then to the Information Commissioner’s Office than then in court during direct questioning by the judge, Ms Fiona Henderson.
In my view such a liar is not fit to hold the office of headteacher. It is gross misconduct and he should be summarily dismissed without notice, without pay, and without compensation or pension.
I leave it for you to deal with as you see fit.
I have copied in my MP, the mayor of Lewisham and the clerk of the Leathersellers livery company.
I’m so pleased this article is still available to view. I am also a former employee of David Sheppard and his lies and bullying not only affected his victims but also had a financial impact on the school.
Public money was paid out as compensation because of this mans behaviour and the governing body did not hold him to account. I completely agree with everything in the article.
This seems like a rather far-fetched interpretation of the findings don’t you think? Clearly, you are a hack, rather than a respected journalist.
There is no evidence that he lied in any of this, only that perhaps he (or those who work for him) had not been thorough enough in tracking back emails.
I am also a former employee of his, and whilst we didn’t always see eye to eye, he is a principled man, and not a liar.
I hope you are sued for libel!
Sorry to disappoint you, but I went to an Information Tribunal and Sheppard lied to the judge too.
Despite this, the judge kept on pushing and eventually the school did admit that there were emails between it and the lawyers and there was another document they had denied existed too.
My views expressed in this article were vindicated by the Tribunal. Sheppard is a liar. He is not fit to be a head teacher.
Not only a liar but a bully. Wish I had taken him to tribunal. An awful, vindictive and throughly nasty man to work for. He made my life hell.