Former KGS head struck off

A former headteacher at Kirkwall Grammar School has been struck off after admitting charges of misconduct.

Gordon McDonald, who worked in the role for less than seven months, spent “long periods of time alone” in his office with a pupil and also allowed the child to keep his wedding ring for periods of time, a General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) panel heard last month.

The full allegations against McDonald state:

Between January 1, 2015 and February 28, 2015, while employed as headteacher at School A, you did:

1. Spend long periods of time alone in your office with Pupil A with the door closed.

2. Failed to record discussions with Pupil A on the school recording system “on the button”.

3. Repeatedly swap rings with Pupil A and allow Pupil A to keep your wedding ring for periods of time.

McDonald admitted the allegations in full and also failed in a bid to stop his name being released by the GTCS who published details of the hearing yesterday, May 29.

A statement from Orkney Islands Council in December 2015 said that McDonald’s departure had been “agreed under normal terms and conditions of service”. He had been absent for several months prior to that, but the council remained tight-lipped as to the circumstances at the time.

McDonald was appointed headteacher at KGS in May 2015, after 10 months as acting headteacher.