A SCOTS headteacher has been put on an immediate leave of absence amid an investigation over a “serious matter”.
Stefan Horsman was placed on a leave of absence from Aberdeen institute Albyn School last month after a “serious” incident allegedly occurred on 21 December 2023.
The headteacher, who joined the private school in 2021, has since been replaced by senior deputy head David Starbuck, for the duration of the investigation.
Parents were notified of the change of hands last week after a letter was sent out, reassuring them that the incident was “not a child safeguarding issue.”
The statement detailed they would not be “divulging the specifics” but that a full HR “independent” investigation would be carried out.
The letter added: “We have received information relating to more than one member of staff, and we are currently assessing this.
“To prevent speculation and to reassure you as parents, we did want to clarify that this matter concerns only staff members and is not a child safeguarding issue.
“We are taking it extremely seriously and have offered everyone involved our full support.
“Community spirit and mutual respect are the bedrock of our school, and this is why we have acted quickly to both address the issue and resolve any matters that might arise.”
The letter also confirmed that Starbuck would be assuming Horsman’s role with immediate effect.
A spokesperson for Albyn School said: “Albyn School is built on an ethos of community and mutual respect, and allegations of this nature are always taken extremely seriously.
“Our primary concern is to ensure there is no disruption to school life and we have measures in place to ensure that is the case.
“We will be dealing with matters in line with our internal procedures and have offered everyone involved our full support.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further whilst matters are ongoing.”
Councillor Martin Greig added: “The school has been a well-respected place of learning for many years.
“Hopefully the issue will be resolved as soon as possible to provide reassurance to the whole school community.”
