A headteacher has been parachuted in to work with a troubled Calderdale school.
Hipperholme and Lightcliffe High School (HLHS), which has been put into special measures by Ofsted, will join forces with a Leeds school in a bid to turn things around.
Carol Kitson, chief executive officer at Abbey Multi Academy Trust, has been appointed by HLHS governors to take on the role of interim executive headteacher.
As part of Department for Education requirements, the Hipperholme school is required to be sponsored by another school.
Helen Morgan, HLHS headteacher said: “We have a strong working relationship with Abbey Grange, having worked positively with them between 2009 and 2011, during which time we progressed from a ‘satisfactory’ to ‘good’ Ofsted rating.
“My focus is on delivering the best possible outcomes for our students and I believe that the team at Abbey Grange are the perfect fit to support this goal.
“Abbey Grange has agreed a robust plan with DfE to raise standards at our school, and the improvements student achievement we achieved this summer show we are building on strong foundations.
“However, we recognise that there is still much to do in order to transform HLHS into an outstanding place to learn.”
Carol Kitson said: “The determination and ambition for progress that I have already experienced is a strong foundation on which to build.”
Government inspectors graded the 1,465-pupil secondary school as Inadequate in all areas and placed it in special measures.
This year’s inspection was the first one since the school converted to an academy in August 2011.
The previous school was rated as Good.
