An Ilkley independent school has denied claims its head teacher's

resignation is connected to a

dispute with parents over non-payment of fees.

The Reverend Alex Munro announced his intention to step down from the role at Clevedon House Preparatory School, in Ben Rhydding, last week.

The news comes a month after the school won a partial victory while suing a single mother, who had withdrawn her child claiming teaching standards were below par, over non-payment of fees.

A second, similar case, is pending, involving one of eight families who have withdrawn 12 children from the school between 1999 and 2002 - but Clevedon House insists there is "no common thread" connecting them.

A spokesman also said reports trying to link Mr Munro's resignation to any of those disputes was a classic case of making "two plus two equals five."

He said: "Each family appears to have left for differing reasons and many are complicated by other issues, such as health, wealth and marital disruption, that make up family life.

"You might say that losing these families is the normal wear and tear of school life - although I would not pretend that we have not

disaffected one or two people along the way.

"The civil Court case with a parent which was objectively reported in the Ilkley Gazette is dead and buried but some papers have been trying to link it in with Mr Munro's resignation.

"This is making us here at the school seethe because there is definitely no link at all - Mr Munro has given us the full two terms notice, as he is contractually obliged to, and will be here until the end of the summer term.

"But we do need to get somebody else appointed as soon as possible, and look forward to making an announcement on that as quickly as we can."

Over the last five years Mr Munro managed Clevedon House's transformation from an all-ages boarding school to a junior school with

nursery.

In its statement about the resignation, the school, which is owned by the Society of Licensed Victuallers, said he had risen to that challenge.

It said: "After completing five very happy years at the helm, he believes this is the right time to hand over the reins to a new

head teacher to take the school

forward to the next stage of its growth."

In December a case brought by Clevedon House against a single mother from Silsden, who asked

not to be named to protect her

child, ended in both sides

claiming victory.

The school was trying to recover £1,262 of unpaid fees but the mother claimed she should not have to pay because the school had breached its contract by failing to provide a proper education.

The judge at Dewsbury County Court rejected that claim but did, however, find there were issues the school needed to address and ordered the parent to pay around half of the amount.

The school is now expected to sue another parent, Sheila Southam, formerly a member of its

planning and advisory committee, for a full term's fee of £1,462 at Keighley County Court on February 25.