Managers called in to run failing school

A second failing school is to be taken out of the control of its local authority and placed in the hands of a team appointed by ministers.

Langham School, a 900-pupil comprehensive in Tottenham, north London, will be closed down if the "education association" appointed to run it cannot turn it round.

Inspectors who visited the school in November, 1994, said standards were satisfactory in only half the lessons. Pupils lacked self-control and acted aggressively in the corridors and stairways and both attendance and punctuality were poor. The management of the school was weak and staff were often not clear about their roles, they said.

The school was told it must prepare an action plan to be approved by Gillian Shephard, Secretary of state for Education, and that it would receive regular visits. However, inspectors who called two months ago found that little improvement had been made.

Exam results had continued to decline, with just 9 per cent of pupils gaining five or more high grades at GCSE, compared with 12 per cent the previous year. Teaching standards were no better, and more than half the lessons were unsatisfactory.

The school had also been the scene of pupil disturbances last November following the sacking of its headteacher, Earla Green. She was suspended after a vote of no confidence by staff just before the inspectors' first report was published, but when she was sacked a year later 100 pupils went on strike, calling for her reinstatement.

Last night, Mrs Shephard said in a parliamentary answer that she was minded to take over the running of the school.

"Although Langham School presents serious challenges I very much hope that the action I am proposing will result in its improvement to the point where it offers good education to all its pupils," she said.

Langham's governors have protested that behaviour at the school has improved and that the number of pupil exclusions has fallen, though they accept the inspectors' criticisms of the quality of lessons.

Last night, Jacky Tonge, Haringey's director of education, said she was surprised by the decision because the authority had expected to be given until June, when a further inspectors' visit was planned, to turn the school round.

"We had taken steps to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Our main concern has been the well-being of the pupils and that has been the guiding principle all along," she said.

Langham is likely to be put into the hands of the North East London Education Association, which was sent into Hackney Downs school in east London last year under the leadership of Richard Painter, chief executive of a charity called Industry in Education. After a 12-week investigation Hackney Downs was found to be beyond recovery and was closed down.