A Bingley headteacher was at the centre of controversy today over accusations that he irresponsibly manipulated parents in the vital shake-up of the schools review.

Peter Sumpter, of Gilstead Middle School, was accused of "playing with parents' fears", by saying the school would close unless they filled in a questionnaire in a specific way.

Bradford Council Education Committee chairman Councillor Jim Flood said that Mr Sumpter's conduct had fallen below the professionalism expected of headteachers as the pressures of the school review begin to surface.

The review will lead to the biggest shake-up of schools in the district in 30 years.

Up to 75 schools are set to close.

Parents have now been asked to choose which system of schools they prefer in about 80,000 questionnaires distributed via the schools themselves.

The options the face are:

to slim down the present system

abolish middle schools in favour of primary and secondary schools

or a combination of both.

Mr Sumpter sent out the questionnaire with a "sample" indicating specifically which boxes parents should tick and which option they should choose.

In an accompanying letter, he said: "If you wish to keep this middle school you should disagree with question 5 and place option 1: rationalisation FIRST if we are to stand any chance of surviving.

"Voting in any other way will lead to closure of our local schools."

Mr Sumpter said: "I am fighting for what I believe in and I hope that in a democratic society I have the right of free speech to do that.

"I have simply advised my parents that if they wish to keep this middle school they should vote for option 1."

Council education chiefs confirmed a string of complaints had been received from parents and other headteachers about Mr Sumpter.

Councillor Flood said: "We are committed to a fair, honest and thorough process.

"Anything less would simply undermine the final decision.

"So far schools have played a constructive and responsible part in that process and I am disappointed at this apparent lapse.

"It is insulting to the parents and it may contaminate our data, but I am sure it is an isolated incident."

Neil Donkin, headteacher at Eccleshill Upper, whose own school could close in the shake-up, said: "That degree of influence is wrong.

"I have a professional view and it is wrong for me to use it to influence parents."

Senior education sources said the validity of parents' responses to the review would now be questioned.

One insider said Mr Sumpter was "playing with parents' fears that the school will close when the chances of it closing are slim".

Steve Pates, whose sons Ashley, nine, and 12-year-old Oliver, attend Gilstead, said: "If parents are going to be led by the sample questionnaire then it ought to have a note on their responses to make that clear."

Tory opposition education spokesman Dale Smith said: "Heads have a right and a duty to inform parents. But to openly tell parents how to fill in the questionnaire is to invite comment," he added.

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