A head and two senior staff from a north London school have been suspended following “serious” allegations over bonuses and pay. Sir Alan Davies, head of Copland Community School in Wembley, deputy head Richard Evans and the school’s bursar Columbus Udokoro have all been suspended pending an investigation. The decision came after Hank Roberts, a teacher at the school, told fellow members at an Association of Teachers and Lecturers conference that the senior management team had been paid about Pounds 1 million in bonuses in the past seven years.

Brent Council has taken over the day-to-day financial management of the school while the staff are investigated. Ed Balls, Schools Secretary, said he had written to the council expressing his “grave concerns”. He said: “Any serious financial mismanagement at a school is extremely worrying for parents, staff and local communities. There is no excuse for any school failing to comply with the law or failing to be completely transparent and accountable over all pay.”