12 January 2026

Open letter to the Council of The King’s School:

We are writing as parents of The King’s School to raise serious concerns about the governance, transparency and conduct of the School Council in relation to the attempted dismissal of the Headmaster, Mr Tony George, despite him having been cleared of any reportable conduct.

Over the past six months, parents have received scant, inconsistent and at times misleading communication from the Chair, Mr Ken Chapman. This has culminated in what appears to be a quiet attempt to dismiss a well-respected Headmaster whilst families were on school holidays. This approach has left the parent community shocked, deeply concerned and profoundly disappointed.

The Council’s lack of transparency, accountability and honesty is corrosive to trust, destructive to good governance, and highly damaging to the reputation and future of The King’s School. Repeated attempts by parents to seek clarity directly from the Chair have gone unanswered. As a result, we now feel compelled to raise our concerns publicly.

Key Questions Requiring Immediate Answers

1. Decision-making process and governance
   How did the Council arrive at the decision to terminate Mr George’s employment?
   What governance framework, due process and independent oversight were applied?
   Why were parents kept entirely in the dark despite actively seeking clarification?
   How does the Council intend to balance confidentiality with its obligation to maintain trust with families?
2. Cleared of allegations
   Given Mr George has been cleared of all reportable conduct by the Office of the Children’s Guardian, why has he not been reinstated?
   Why has the Council failed to communicate this outcome to parents and students?
    
3. Media narrative and misinformation
   Why are parents forced to rely on external media for information?
   Who is providing misinformation to the media, and why has the Council failed to publicly correct demonstrable mistruths?
   Why has the Council allowed the reputation of both the School and its Headmaster to be damaged through silence?
    
4. Conduct and moral authority of the Council
   Parents were informed that the Headmaster was under investigation, yet no communication followed confirming he had been cleared.
   Parents were told the Headmaster had commenced legal action, without disclosure that the Council had issued a Notice of Termination, or that the Chair sent a Notice of Eviction on Christmas Eve.
   How does the Council justify these omissions?
    
5. Perception of bias or pre-determined outcomes
   How does the Council guard against favouritism or conflicts of interest?
   If any Council member has acted with a self-interest agenda, this must be disclosed and addressed immediately.
    
6. Loss of confidence
   We have little confidence in the current Council and no confidence in its ability to appoint a future Headmaster.
   What high-calibre leader would accept appointment under a Council that has treated a successful, cleared Headmaster, in this manner?
    
7. Council accountability
   What independent oversight, if any, was involved in this decision?
   Were all Council members listed below involved in, or aware of, the decision-making process?
    

The King’s School Council members

Appointed by the Church:

·     The Most Reverend Kanishka Raffel (President)

·     Mr K Chapman (Chairman)

·     Mrs J Anderson

·     Mr M Bradford

·     Mr A France

·     Dr C Grice

·     Bishop G Koo

·     The Reverend Canon T Swan

·     The Reverend J C B Warren

·     The Reverend M A B Whitfield

Appointed by The King’s School Old Boys’ Union: 

·     Mrs E Maple-Brown

·     Mr E J Lloyd 

·     Mr R J R Long

·     Mr C Taylor

·     Mr P J K O Whittington

Values and Impact

The King’s School motto, Fortiter et Fideliter—Bravely and Faithfully—sets an expectation of courage, integrity and moral leadership. Yet the Council’s conduct over the past six months has had a devastating impact: disrupting students, damaging the School’s reputation, and eroding trust across parents, students, alumni and stakeholders.

We entrust The King’s School to help develop boys of strong character. Empathy, integrity and accountability are foundational leadership traits. If these are not being modelled by the governing body of the School, how can they be instilled in our sons?

Call to Action

Based on the concerns outlined above, we believe the Chair and Council have failed Good Governance Principle 10: Accountability to Stakeholders. Stakeholders were not appropriately informed of key decisions, nor were reasonable steps taken to ensure transparency and accountability, as required under section 83C of the NSW Education Act 1990.

This failure has eroded our confidence in the Chair’s ability to fulfil his duties. We therefore urge the President to immediately review the Chair’s position, his ability to perform this role, and review the Council’s governance practices. Failing this, we are prepared to lodge a formal complaint with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) regarding a potential breach of section 83C.

What The King’s School Community Are Seeking—Immediately

We call for the Council to commit to the following without delay:

• Reinstate the Headmaster immediately to ensure a return to stability and right the injustice as outlined above
• Review the ability of the Chair to perform his role based on the concerns outlined above.
• Publication of a formal Council Charter, including scope, meeting frequency, terms of reference and tenure
• A clear governance structure aligned to the School’s strategic priorities
• Transparent communication with parents regarding key Council decisions and the process used to reach them, including disclosure of dissenting views where appropriate
• Clear accountability standards for Council members to ensure ethical, conflict-free decision-making
• Regular written updates to parents and key stakeholders outlining matters raised at Council meetings and actions taken
   

We ask for an immediate response and a demonstrable commitment to restoring trust, transparency and ethical governance—for the sake of our boys and the future of The King’s School.