Heads Will Roll: The true story of corruption, conspiracy and confrontation in an English Primary School

In January 1971 a young and enthusiastic teacher, Nigel Allsop*, took up his post as Deputy Head of a Primary School in a small, rural village within commuting distance of London.

From day one he realised that, behind the respectibility of its red-brick fa?ade, St Patrick's was a murky mix of unorthodox and illegal practices instigated and directed by the school's seemingly bulletproof Headteacher, George Snaith.

This book focusses on only one of these irregularities.

That March, Niall Allsop was invigilating a small number of children sitting a crucial public examination, when Snaith entered the room and appeared to assist two children, both of whom he had been coaching privately. When the papers of the children in question were later checked, it was clear that both must have had unauthorised access to the tests.

Heads will roll tells the story of how Nigel Allsop and his collegues put their jobs on the line to stand up to George Snaith. They were also forced to go head to head with those in authority locally who, although aware of the litany of irregularities at the school, had always chosen to turn a blind eye in favour of a quieter life.

*In 1971 Niall Allsop was known as Nigel Allsop. After leaving teaching in the early 80s-and never having felt himself to be a 'Nigel'-he decided to embrace his Irish heritage (Nigel, Neil and Niall all derive from the same Scandinavian source) and became Niall Allsop.