It is understood that Michelle Brady was relieved of her duties at the island’s only school on Friday. Jacob Brady, 23, admitted five counts of sexually touching a child and five of possessing indecent images of children in court just two days earlier. He was sentenced to a total of three years and 10 months in prison.
A letter sent to parents, and seen by the Guernsey Press, said that the school had been aware that Jacob Brady had previously been ‘an adult volunteer during a Sark School camping trip’ and had worked with Sark School children in an environment out of school.
However, it is unclear who took the decision to suspend Ms Brady, as the island’s Education Committee currently has no chair. The school’s board of governors said the decision had not been taken by them.
Ms Brady has led the school, which only has around 25 pupils, since September 2022. She previously taught at Beechwood and Vale Primary School.
She published an upbeat school newsletter last Friday, looking forward to school Eisteddfod trips.
A spokesman for Chief Pleas said that during the temporary suspension period, Mrs Brady’s duties were being undertaken by Simon Smith, the school’s safeguarding lead, who joined the school in 2023.
‘As an investigation is ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time,’ he said. ‘Save to note that temporary suspension while an investigation is undertaken is standard practice and does not imply a finding of wrongdoing.’
The letter sent to parents on Friday, which was unsigned, said ‘the safety and well-being of your children are our highest priority, and we want to reassure you that we are urgently reviewing all related incidents and subsequent actions. We are committed to ensuring Sark School remains a safe and supportive place for every child.
‘In a small community like Sark, looking out for one another is more important than ever, and we appreciate your trust and partnership. We will continue to keep you informed and involved as things progress.’
Jan Guy, the chair of Sark School board of governors, who was previously headteacher at the school prior to Ms Brady’s appointment, said the board could not comment while a safeguarding enquiry was ongoing.
‘However, I can confirm that the decision to suspend the head of school was not taken by the board,’ she said.
Conseiller Jolie Rose was chair of the island’s Education Committee, but stood down in early February. The position is expected to be filled at the next meeting of Chief Pleas.
Chief Pleas said her resignation was unrelated to Mrs Brady's departure.
Education in Guernsey also said it had not been consulted on Ms Brady’s suspension.
Efforts to contact Ms Brady were unsuccessful.