Ex-Swindon school headteacher guilty of assault and harassment

Christopher Belli was in charge of Ridgeway School and Sixth Form from May 2021 but left just over a year later in July 2022.

He was also the executive director for secondary education at The White Horse Federation Multi-Academy Trust, where he oversaw the management of seven schools.

But he stopped working for that trust in August of 2022.

Belli pleaded guilty at Gloucester Crown Court on Monday to causing actual bodily harm and assault by beating.

Christopher Belli (right) leaves Gloucester Crown Court accompanied by Nicholas Capstick

The charges took place during an incident on Saturday, February 26, 2022.

During the hearing, a summary offence of harassment, to which he also pleaded guilty, was added to his list of criminal charges.

He has now been released on bail until his sentencing, which is due to be held at the court on September 7.

Despite being involved in criminal proceedings, he became one of the three directors of a newly-formed educational consultancy called The Phi Centre along with former White Horse Federation CEO Nicholas Capstick OBE in April.

Its website states that it supports schools "by making things easier, more efficient, and therefore more effective to help leaders to help their schools to thrive".

Christopher Belli (right) leaves Gloucester Crown Court accompanied by Nicholas Capstick. (Image: Nik Farmer)

Christopher Belli (right) leaves Gloucester Crown Court accompanied by Nicholas Capstick

Dr Capstick and Mr Belli have also set up another educational consultancy called Leaders4Learners LLP on July 12, mere days before Belli admitted to his crimes, with Dr Capstick accompanying him at the court hearing.

Mr Belli was previously headteacher of Churchdown School in Gloucester which he left in 2014.

Former Churchdown School employee Barbara Farmer, who worked with Mr Belli, said: "I am deeply concerned that someone who can no longer hold a DBS can be a director of companies that are paid to advise schools.

"It makes a mockery of justice if criminal convictions for serious crimes can be ignored.

"As a former assistant principal of a large secondary school, I would be appalled to learn that an educational consultancy I was paying was run by a person who would fail a basic DBS check." 

A White Horse Federation spokesman said: “Mr Belli left his employment with the trust on the 30th of June 2023.

"Mr Belli has not worked with the trust since August 2022.

"We can also confirm that we have no commercial relationship with either of the two companies that have been set up nor do we intend to.”

The Adver has approached Ridgeway School and The Phi Trust for comment.