THE headteacher of the Basildon Academies has sensationally quit under a cloud after a successful Ofsted monitoring report and much improved GCSE results.

Dr Rory Fox, who took over the £50million school in September 2011, has not given any public reason for his departure and only told staff on Monday and pupils on Tuesday in a series of assemblies.
 

It is believed Dr Fox handed in his resignation after a series of disagreements with the governors on the school’s future.
 

He has not secured a new appointment and is due to leave in March next year.
The troubled school was plunged into special measures by Ofsted in March this year but under Dr Fox’ leadership staff and pupils have worked hard to improve.
 

In August pupils achieved the predicted 45 per cent A to C grades including English and Maths at GCSE, the second best in the Basildon borough.
In the September Ofsted monitoring report Dr Fox’ leadership is praised and the school is said to be making reasonable progress, whereas the governors and school’s academy trust were highly criticised in the March report.


The September report said: “As a result of the principal’s clear vision and strong leadership, inadequate teaching has been largely eliminated as a result of good coaching and professional development, or where teachers have proved unable to improve, robust action to remove them.”
In March Ofsted inspectors were scathing of the governors, headed up by chairman Les Livermore, and academy trust and said it had “limited educational expertise to support the academy”.


The inspectors also touched on the many staff changes at senior level which saw the departure of executive headteacher Alan Roach in 2011 and now Dr Fox.
 

It said: “The academy is not demonstrating sufficient capacity to improve. The Academy Trust, working through the governing body, has limited educational experience to support the academy. Its contribution to leadership and management is inadequate.”
 

On his departure Dr Fox, who used to work in a prison, said: “I cannot publically comment on my reasons for leaving except to confirm that I have handed in my resignation letter to governors.


“The school has still got a long way to go but I believe I have helped lay the foundations to carry on the success of the school.


“We achieved 45 per cent A to C including English and Maths this year in the GCSEs and we are aiming for 55 per cent this year and then 60 per cent the year after.


“I will watch the school’s results with great interest, at the end of the day I want the best for the children and I hope there will be a smooth transition.”
The monitoring report added that the “academy’s original statement of action” was “judged not fit for purpose” and now a “concise plan has been produced with clear targets and milestones which are being achieved”.