SO what exactly has gone wrong at Richmond School – a school which has traditionally enjoyed a positive reputation? What made the entire board of governors resign en masse last week?

It is understandable that these questions are being asked by concerned parents – and it must be infuriating for them to be kept in the dark.

Parents found out about the resignations via social media and they have been seeking some clarification since then.

It took five days of mounting speculation before the local education authority finally put out a statement reassuring parents that it was not a safeguarding issue.

That has allayed some of the concerns but it only came after pressure was applied by parents who involved the media. It has helped scotch some of the wilder rumours, but it is not enough.

It is rare for a whole governing body to resign. When it happens, something must have seriously broken down. The speed of the governors’ resignations has not been matched by the school or the local education authority in dealing with the urgent need for communication.

Parents calling the school have encountered an answer-phone message, and a letter is due to be sent to them by the education authority next week.

Is it really too much to ask for a statement to be posted on the school website rather than use half-term as an excuse for the delay?

Whatever has happened, the fall-out has been handled badly. It has fuelled concerns and it must make people think twice about whether they would want to volunteer to fill the governors’ void.