Private school wins court battle (From York Press)

Queen Ethelburga's wins court battle

7:00pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in News By Jennifer Bell, jennifer.bell@thepress.co.uk

A PRIVATE school near York has today won a court battle brought by one of its former employees.

Queen Ethelburga’s College at Thorpe Underwood was at the centre of a three-day court battle at Manchester County Court this week after former guardian, Dr Chuanjie Zhou, brought a legal action over loss of earnings, which he claimed were in the region of £113,000.

He sought damages after the school stopped him acting for pupils. The case dates back to 2010 when the school’s board of governors removed Dr Zhou, 59, from his role as a guardian, after he allowed students to stay in unsupervised accommodation during the holidays, directly contravening the school’s guardianship policy.

In returning his decision in favour of the school His Honour Judge Foster QC told the court: “ It was the school’s duty to take the action that it did. [I find] the actions taken were fully justified. It would have been in breach of its contract with parents if it had not taken that action.”

“The failure by Dr Zhou to make appropriate arrangements justified the decision refusing to accept Dr Zhou as a guardian”.

Dr Zhou was ordered to pay the school’s legal costs.

Steven Jandrell, principal of Queen Ethelburga’s, said the school had “serious and genuine concerns” about the welfare and care of a group of international students during the half term holidays and that he was delighted that those concerns had been upheld in court.

He said he was pleased Judge Foster had recognised that Queen Ethelburga’s was justified in its actions.

About 40 percent of the 1,000 pupils who attend the school are international and pay an annual tuition fee of about £30,000.

Dr Zhou was responsible for more than 30 students but Judge Foster said his refusal to make appropriate arrangements justified Queen Ethelburga's actions.