THERE has been a backlash against comments made by a headteacher who said his "best staff" are staying at Holmer Green Senior School, following a number of teacher resignations.

Mike Jones spoke to the Bucks Free Press last week regarding the rumours surrounding his school, which received a requires improvement rating in the last Ofsted report.

He said changes needed to be made to improve the school and said although 15 staff are leaving the school, his best staff are staying.

Mr Jones said he hired teachers from Canada, but it was through an agency and he was left with little choice.

But comments on the story on the BFP website appeared to disagree.

MCarey wrote: "So many excellent teachers have/are leaving and the pupils have no consistency because Jones has dug his heels in and he is clearly not going anywhere mores the pity."

There will be 14 new staff starting at the school in September, with five replacing teachers in the English department who have resigned or retired.

Reasonable23 said strong and experienced teachers are being made to feel rubbish and are being taken for granted.

They added: "This is obviously having an effect on the students, they are far from stupid, they are watching people they care about and respect being treated so badly."

While lazydayz said: "The focus is on the staff leaving. I wonder if the head would like to enumerate the number of students leaving? Not just in Year 11 and Year 13, but in every year? Since money is allocated from government per student, and the school is apparently already struggling to balance the books for next year, this should equally worry the school community."

But not all the comments were on the same side. HGSS STUDENT said: "It hasn't been an easy year, and I've been there as a student for the entire time.

"But I assure you the school is on the up, everyday a more positive atmosphere is felt."

The school is opening its new sixth form centre and design and technology facility in September.

Beknarm wrote: "As an ex Holmer Green student and being there when Mr Jones was also there, he was an awesome teacher and tried to make the school do as good as possible."

And Klp_x9 said: "Being a former HGSS student, to hear that the school has declined is awful. But blaming Mike Jones as being the main person that has contributed to this is wrong...

"Mr Jones may have been misled by 'business managers' that have guided him into making wrong decisions but to blame it all on him is terrible. A school is always based on the teaching and the teachers ability and that was obviously not up to par so changes had to be made."

Mr Jones did not respond to the BFP for a request for a comment.