The beleaguered headmaster of Trinity Grammar has resigned in the wake of the haircut incident which rocked his school.
The head of the Kew private school, Dr Michael Davies, has faced intense pressure to stand down since deputy headmaster Rohan Brown was sacked for chopping a student’s hair in March.
Dr Michael Davies
Dr Davies announced his resignation at an 8am meeting on Tuesday with staff.
He said he decided to step down after deep discussions with his family.
"Having successfully resolved some complex matters over recent weeks, I am now content that our hard work in recent weeks has helped the school return to a position where students and staff are enjoying the normal rhythm of school life," he said in a statement.
It's a win for parents and alumni who have been fighting for a change of leadership at the school. Not only did they successfully campaign to have Mr Brown reinstated, but they also successfully fought for the school council to be replaced.
It also signifies the end to a turbulent chapter in the Anglican school's 115 year history. Mr Brown's sacking triggered student protests, heated community meetings and an administrative crisis, with three school council members, including the chair, standing down.
Dr Davies will step down at the end of the term, which concludes on June 29, with former Carey Grammar principal Phil De Young taking up the role of interim headmaster.
Mr Young will lead Trinity Grammar while the school's interim council conducts a search for a permanent headmaster, a process it said was likely to take "many months".
Trinity School Council Chairman Robert Utter said he was disappointed by Dr Davies’ decision.
"“We have accepted Michael’s resignation but are sorry to see him leave,” Mr Utter said.
“Over the past four and a half years, Dr Davies has been instrumental in the school’s continuing evolution as a leading private educational institution. Michael, with support from a team of highly-regarded teachers and educational leaders, has implemented an impressive list of academic, outreach and co-curricular initiatives at Trinity. They have helped our school reach a revered independent rating as one of the best performing Victorian schools across a wide range of educational, pastoral and personal development metrics."
Steve Murphy, a parent of a Year 12 student at the school, said Dr Davies had made the right decision.
“Michael hasn’t had the support of the community or his teaching staff,” he said. “In that context he has made the right decision for the school.”
He said he hoped the decision allowed the school community to move on.
“Drawing a line and enabling a clean beginning is good for everybody,” he said.
Mr Murphy said it was important that the new headmaster balanced academic excellence with programs that helped developed boys' emotional intelligence.
At a community meeting in March, more than 1500 parents, students and alumni called for the Dr Davies and the school council to resign. A separate vote found that just 26 per cent of staff at the school supported the headmaster.
Last month, Trinity Grammar offered deputy headmaster Rohan Brown his job back after an independent review found the school council’s decision to dismiss him was unjustified.
Trinity Grammar deputy principal Rohan Brown greets students on his return.
Photo: Joe ArmaoDr Davies arrived at the school in 2014 and set about boosting its VCE results.
But he was criticised for the school's perceived change of direction.
Last November, David Baumgartner, the president of the Old Trinity Grammarians Association wrote to the school council and headmaster to voice his concerns about these changes.
“There is too much inward focus on things like buildings, fundraising, marketing, ATAR excellence, Cambridge schooling program, etc," he wrote.
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