The troubled high school confirms the appointment of a new principal

A Liverpool high school forced to close after staff walked out over pupils’ behavior has been given a new headteacher.

It was announced in February this year that Stephen Morris would be leaving his post as head of St Edward’s College in West Derby. The school insisted it was a personal decision, but it came against a backdrop of difficulties for the Catholic establishment.

A week after a series of resignations from members of the National Education Union over the behavior of pupils, St Edward’s has confirmed that Lee Fabia will take over as headteacher from 1 September.

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Last month, union officials confirmed that around 60 of its members would take wrongful action after “negotiations broke down in a trade dispute centered on student behaviour”. In a letter to parents, the school said it had met with officials several times during the previous term “to provide action and reassurance on various issues including behaviour, teaching equipment and targeted time”.

This came two months after Mr Morris announced he would leave St Edwards at the end of this summer term. In a statement, a school spokesman said it was a personal matter considered “for several months” with governors before a decision was finally reached.

His intention to resign came amid an Ofsted report in November 2022 in which education officials called on school leaders to improve. The wide-ranging review found that “some older students do not feel able to discuss concerns about homophobia or sexual harassment with adults.

“Leaders have not created a culture that allows all students and staff to feel confident discussing concerns about protected features. As a result, some students continue to face verbal abuse.”

It added that some pupils experienced “derogatory and discriminatory language” in the school and did not feel able to speak to staff about such incidents “and the impact of this discriminatory behavior on their mental health and wellbeing”.

St Edward’s, which describes itself as having an “explicitly Catholic culture” and is part of the Archdiocese of Liverpool, has around 1,100 pupils aged between 11 and 16. It converted to become an academy in May 2011 and when the predecessor school was last inspected it was rated as generally outstanding.

First Principal Mr Fabia will join the school from Cardinal Heenan Catholic College, where he is currently Assistant Principal. John O’Brien, Chair of Governors at St Edward’s, said: “Mr Fabia’s passion for teaching and learning, combined with creating an environment for positive behavior and attitudes to learning, set him apart from other candidates.

“The governors believe that in the appointment of Mr Fabia they have a headmaster who will bring a clear sense of purpose and a vision grounded in his Catholic faith, who will maximize the opportunities that arise from being England’s only Catholic secondary cathedral choir school and member of the Choir. The Edmund Rice Family of Schools.”

Mr Fabia added: “My vision for St Edward’s will be characterized by our Catholic faith and strength as a Catholic community, an exceptional curriculum, a high aspiration for academic excellence and exemplary behaviour, with a strong culture of care, encouragement and reward in that all students feel safe and valued.”

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