Head Teacher Who Had NO Teaching Qualifications Quits New Free School After Four Weeks

Head Teacher Who Had NO Teaching Qualifications Quits New Free School After Four Weeks
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Kent, England, United Kingdom

A 27-year-old head teacher with NO teaching qualifications has stepped down just four weeks after the opening of the free school she helped set up.

Annaliese Briggs, 27, has left Pimlico Primary in London and will be replaced by a teacher with 10 years experience.

Sources told the Guardian that Ms Briggs was 'not happy because she could not cope with the job, full stop. It was too much to learn, too quickly'.

Ms Briggs had previously defended herself against criticism that she was inexperienced, saying she was chosen for her curriculum expertise.

Now Pimlico Primary says Ms Briggs was leaving 'to pursue other opportunities within primary education' after 'successfully' setting up the school.

Ms Briggs previously worked at the think tank Civitas. She said during that time she taught primary school children in supplementary schools, which offer out-of-hours teaching, helping improve literacy and numeracy skills.

When she was appointed she had not completed a postgraduate certificate in education.

Ms Briggs was not available for comment.

The new principal Kelly Teddy is a former deputy headteacher.

Pimlico Primary is sponsored by Future Academies, a charity set up by schools minister Lord Nash - an ally of Education Secretary Michael Gove.

Mr Gove has called for more people without teaching qualifications to take over schools.

Kevin Brennan, Labour's shadow schools minister, said Labour would end the practice of allowing unqualified teachers into classrooms.