It's like a vicar taking off Sundays

Colin Tarrant, NUT

An NUT official, Colin Tarrant, said it was remarkable: "I have never before heard of a headteacher taking off time like this for a holiday in the middle of a school term.

"I don't think that Sven-Goran Eriksson would be too pleased if David Beckham decided to take his holidays during the football season.

"It's like a vicar taking off Sundays."

But Mr Hampson says he had the approval of the school's governors for the break.

He said:"I stand by my decision to take two weeks holiday as, unlike most secondary school headteachers, I do not take the usual school holidays away from the establishment, as I am contracted to only 35 days paid holiday per year."

He said he worked through much of the school holiday period and it was preferable to leave the school at a time when there were other staff around to run it.

He said: "In my view, for a headteacher as a chief executive to take 13 weeks holiday and leave the school `rudderless' during this time is not a dereliction of duty."

But the NUT says Mr Hampson is damaging efforts to persuade parents not to take their children out of school in term-time.

Colin Tarrant said: "This is setting an example that headteachers feel it acceptable to go away.

"That's not the message we're trying to send out."