Roedean school
An independent forensic investigation into Roedean School’s cancelled 3 February tennis fixture has found leadership failures and procedural lapses at the centre of the breakdown that led to the forfeiture of the match against King David Linksfield.
In a 16 February update to parents and staff, the board of directors confirmed that Phase 1 of the independent investigation found that concerns raised by a number of students prior to the match were not managed through appropriate leadership processes and were not escalated, assessed or resolved in line with expected governance protocols.
It further established that academic workshops had been scheduled at the same time as the fixture and that established procedures were not properly followed in managing the clash. Communication and judgment failures at leadership level compounded the situation, the board said.
It acknowledged that its earlier understanding of events had been incomplete and accepted responsibility for acting on information that had not been sufficiently verified.
The findings follow weeks of controversy after King David Linksfield alleged that concerns had been raised about playing a Jewish school and described the cancellation of the match as resulting from “antisemitic actions”. Roedean had initially maintained that the fixture was forfeited due to academic commitments.
The board reiterated in its latest update that it remains unequivocal in rejecting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, stating that this principle stands independent of the investigation’s conclusions and remains central to the school’s values.
Hours after the findings were communicated, the board confirmed that chair Dale Quaker had stepped down with immediate effect. In a separate leadership update, the board said Quaker’s resignation followed careful reflection on the pressure the recent period had placed on him and his family, noting that public commentary had crossed acceptable boundaries and affected their sense of safety and wellbeing.
Thembi Mazibuko has been appointed interim chairperson and Claudia Bickford-Smith deputy interim chairperson as the board moves into what it described as a three-month stabilisation period focused on governance strengthening, implementing the investigation’s recommendations and rebuilding confidence within the school community.
Phase 2 of the investigation is now under way and will examine broader governance, policy and decision-making processes, including root causes and accountability mechanisms.
That phase is expected to conclude within two weeks. The school said it remained in discussions with King David and the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa.