04.12.2024
In the interest of settling a long-standing disagreement, the Board of Trustees has prepared the following public statement.
Matthew Bulmer joined ArtsEd as Headteacher in January 2022, at a time of significant upheaval and uncertainty. He worked hard to champion the Day School and Sixth Form (DSSF) and his dedication, vision, and hard work was much appreciated by Trustees.
Matthew performed all the duties expected of a Headteacher, prioritising the needs of students and parents, and his contributions had a considerable impact on the DSSF. On arrival, he successfully filled the school with new pupils within a short timeframe, enabling a strong start to the school year. This accomplishment was highly valued by the Board of Trustees.
During Matthew’s time at ArtsEd, he raised concerns over the management structure and style and, subsequently, working relationships, which he considered were impacting DSSF independence, institutional welfare and quality of provision. The Trustees took these concerns seriously, seeking solutions and subsequently arranging for an external examination of alleged behaviours. Despite these efforts, however, a satisfactory resolution could not be reached, and Matthew departed ArtsEd in August 2023.
Following the publication of allegations in Deadline in November 2023, the Trustees commissioned an external, barrister-led investigation, the findings of which have since been released publicly. The Trustee Board has accepted that there are important lessons to be learned, and we are implementing necessary changes.
During this period, educational provision at ArtsEd has been subject to examination by both Ofsted and the Independent Schools Inspectorate. In both instances, the findings have confirmed areas of outstanding excellence with all standards being met, evidencing institutional effectiveness.
ArtsEd and its Trustees acknowledge that Matthew acted in good faith when raising his concerns and was seeking to uphold the values of the institution. The Trustees regret the distress and disruption caused to Matthew and others by his departure. It is our hope that this statement makes clear the contribution Matthew has made to our institution and that it enables him to move on from this challenging period to achieve the leadership successes he deserves.