The chairman of a group of top independent schools has quit his post and stood down as head of a leading fee-paying school less than 24-hours after he withdrew from heading a new academy.

The Rev Tim Hastie-Smith said today personal reasons forced him to resign as chair of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC), which represents 250 leading independent schools including Eton, after only a month in the post. Just hours later he announced his resignation as head of Dean Close School Cheltenham.

Mr Hastie-Smith yesterday decided to pullout from leading Kettering Academy – one of the Government’s flagship schools due to open next year. The United Learning Trust – the backer of the academy – was upset by Mr Hastie-Smith’s decision to employ a teacher who had secretly filmed a pupil having sex while on a school trip.

Michael Clarkson, the teacher involved, was struck off the teaching register last week. Mr Hastie-Smith had given him a job at Dean Close School in Cheltenham five months after the incident because he believed in “giving people a second chance”.

Mr Hastie-Smith said: “In light of recent events, and given that I was planning to leave the School next summer I have, after careful thought, decided that it would be better to bring forward my leaving date.

“Dean Close is a fine School, and it has been a privilege to serve as its Headmaster for the last 10 years.”

Patricia Napier, chairman of governors at Dean Close, said: “Tim has been a marvellous servant to the school during his time as head.

“He had already announced that he would be leaving next July, and it is with sadness that the governors accepted his decision to leave with immediate effect."

In a statement, the HMC said it had accepted Mr Hastie-Smith’s decision to resign “with great regret” adding that he had organised a very successful annual conference.

Mr Hastie-Smith was due to leave the independent sector, where he headed the highly regarded Dean Close School and become the head of the academy when it opens next September.

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