A teachers’ union has welcomed the departure of controversial head teacher Jane Porter.

In a strongly-worded newsletter to its members, the Gravesham branch of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) labelled the saga involving the head of Whitehill Primary School in Gravesend, as “toxic”.

Parents were told last week that Mrs Porter, who has been at the Sun Lane school for 18 years and who once caused a storm by banning the word “Christmas”, was taking a leave of absence.

Whitehill is part of the Gravesend Grammar School Academies Trust and the announcement was made by the trust’s executive head teacher, Geoff Wybar.

News of the departure was broken by our sister paper the Gravesend Messenger last week, but the Gravesham NUT claimed that reports only scratched the surface.

The letter said: “In this particularly toxic case it was felt best to wait a few days to get a few facts corroborated before anything further could be said.

“No doubt more will come out later, but as the story effectively went public yesterday we can now reveal a few things our end.

"Do please appreciate that the media has only exposed some of the incredible goings-on that we have been aware of for some time.”

It is not the first time Mrs Porter has left her post amid a furore.

She left her position as head of King’s Farm Primary School in Cedar Avenue, Gravesend, in September last year.

At the time, she was head of both King’s Farm and Whitehill and Kent County Council said Mrs Porter left Kings Farm to focus on her duties at Whitehill.

Some parents had complained that, under her leadership, King’s Farm was going in the wrong direction, and in July 2014 they protested outside the school amid claims that sports day had been cancelled, that special needs children had lost their support, the size of classes increased after 22 teachers quit, and school trips were cancelled along with the summer fete.

But she did have some support.

When the Messenger spoke to parents outside King’s Farm back in July last year, some had glowing praise for the head.

Tony Hughes, 42, said of the protesters: “They are all scared of change. I don’t quite know what they’re hoping for. Do they want the head out because she’s making changes? If it’s not her it will be someone else.

“From what we’ve seen of her she’s been brilliant and helpful, and the kids love her.”

His views were echoed by others.

While parents were divided, the NUT said that complaints had been made to the union on various occasions about Mrs Porter. In its letter it said: “What should be noted for members more generally is this; local association officers on occasion have to deal with a fair amount of ‘unpleasantries’ shall we say. You get used to them.

“But after seeing two grievances in regards to this head teacher, Jane Porter, one from Kings Farm Primary School and one from Whitehill, which most surprisingly was upheld at the time, we could at least try to indicate just how shocking some of the things we heard were and as put, we’re not easily shocked these days.”

However, the NUT also reflected that Mrs Porter’s alleged behaviour may have been the result of an environment created by the government where teachers were under pressure to meet “unreasonable demands and expectations”.

It said: “She was almost the ‘epitome’ for where successive governments’ education policy has ended up; with individuals behaving in such ways.

“It is something, those heads, trying to keep to an older, more human way of running a school, should think about when considering her ultimate demise as it appears to be so.”