Former ArtsEd teacher launches unfair dismissal claim

A former teacher at ArtsEd has taken the performing arts school to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal after he raised concerns about “a culture of fear” at the drama school, according to a report from Deadline.

Matthew Bulmer was fired from his position as Head of ArtsEd’s Day School and Sixth Form in August last year. 

While the details of his claim are not yet public, at a hearing last week Bulmer’s barrister, Matthew Curtis, discussed an extract of an independent review relating to his exit from the school carried out by the law firm Bond Legal.

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He revealed that the review investigated the teacher’s claims of a “culture of fear” and unease about the leadership of ArtsEd principal Julie Spencer and her deputy Yewande Akindele.

Curtis also accused ArtsEd of a “staggering” lack of disclosure, alleging that the school had withheld documents relevant to the case.

Bulmer is taking action against both Arts Ed and Bond Legal, which, it was noted during the hearing, did not interview former staff or students as part of their inquiries.

He asserts that the firm acted as an agency of ArtsEd, a claim Bond Legal attempted to strike out. However, employment judge Richard Nicolle ruled that would be “inappropriate”.

In November, the school informed pupils and staff that employment barrister Ghazaleh Rezaie would independently review Spenser’s conduct. The findings are due to be delivered to the board in March.

Spencer is currently on medical leave but has denied the allegations against her.

"Cult-like" culture

It's not the first time ArtsEd has faced significant criticism of its administration. In 2021, an independent review uncovered a"misguided" and "cult-like" culture at ArtsEd that was exacerbated by failures in leadership.

Rebecca Tuck QC found an "overly sexualised environment" within ArtsEd's School of Musical Theatre. Terms like "naked bond" and "wear what you dare" were "notorious and clearly distressed some students", according to a summary published by the board.

Following the revelations, the school said two panels would review its policy and governance. It also planned to implement a suite of recommendations from Tuck.

In the month that the allegations surfaced, three other drama schools faced similar scandals, leading to a series of high-profile inquiries into claims of misconduct by staff.