Headmaster of £37,000-a-year independent school is sacked

Headmaster of £37,000-a-year independent school is sacked for misusing funds and mistreating staff

• Culford School in Sussex suspended Julian Johnson-Munday in January  

The long-standing headmaster of a top independent school has been sacked for misusing its funds and property and ‘mistreating staff’.

Culford School in Suffolk – whose alumni include MPs, finance chiefs, a former Rolls-Royce chairman and sports presenter John Motson – suspended Julian Johnson-Munday in January as a probe was launched into his conduct.

He was dismissed this week after the investigation by an independent lawyer was completed, followed by a disciplinary and appeal process.

Parents at the school, which charges up to £23,655-a-year for day pupils and £37,155 for boarders, received a letter this week which said action had been taken ‘following a number of allegations’.

It stated Mr Johnson-Munday, 61, ‘had breached a number of the school’s internal policies in relation to the misuse of school funds and property and the treatment of members of staff’.

Culford School in Suffolk suspended Julian Johnson-Munday in January as a probe was launched into his conduct

The letter, from chairman of governors Mark Donougher, added: ‘This was not a decision taken lightly and we are saddened by it.

‘However, it was found that his actions constituted gross misconduct and a breach of trust that was not compatible with his leadership role.

‘It is important to note that the allegations under investigation did not concern pupils and have not impacted the school’s financial position, which remains robust.

‘We recognise that this has been an unsettling time for our community and we are sorry for the frustration this has caused. However, the investigation, disciplinary and appeals process took time to complete.’

The school had previously written to parents in January saying Mr Johnson-Munday would be absent for a short period of time due to personal reasons.

It has not given details of the allegations against him, although the matter has not been reported to police. Insiders said this suggested funds were misspent rather than ‘syphoned off to a personal account or something similar’.

The Methodist Independent Schools Trust (MIST), which owns the school, has filed a serious incident report to the Charity Commission.

The Commission said: ‘We have engaged with trustees on this matter and are assured that appropriate steps are being taken by the charity at this time.’

Mr Johnson-Munday had been in charge of Culford School for 19 years, having previously served as deputy headmaster at Mill Hill School in London. It is understood he had been living on-site.

The £37,000 a year school’s alumni include MPs, finance chiefs, a former Rolls-Royce chairman and sports presenter John Motson

His wife Jo’s LinkedIn profile lists her as the school’s communications consultant.

Claire Bentley, the school’s acting head, has been made interim head until a permanent replacement is appointed.

The mixed-sex school, which takes pupils up to 18, was founded in 1881 and moved to Culford Park, near Bury St Edmunds, in 1935.

The spectacular 18th century mansion at the heart of life at Culford was named one of Britain’s six most architecturally beautiful schools by Tatler magazine in 2019. It sits in 480 acres of grounds.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, who have a home in Norfolk, are said to have considered sending Prince George there.

Former head of IT Gerald Baalham was convicted in 2014 of dishonestly abusing his position to obtain £32,000 worth of computer equipment. He was given a suspended two-year jail term.

Several pupils were suspended in 2017 amid claims they were operating an online drug ring. The sixth formers were said to have been buying cannabis and selling it to younger pupils for double the price, using WhatsApp to set up deals.

A school spokesman said: ‘We are saddened by this decision, which was only taken after a thorough investigation and rigorous disciplinary and appeals process.

‘The allegations under investigation neither concerned pupils nor have they impacted the school’s financial position, which remains robust.’

The Independent Schools Inspectorate, which undertakes non-routine inspections at the behest of the Department for Education, refused to confirm if it had been asked to visit Culford.

The DfE said the Teaching Regulation Agency, which investigates cases of serious teacher misconduct and decides whether to refer them to a professional conduct panel which can suspend or ban them from classrooms, did not comment on individual cases.

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