FAILING Darwen Moorland High School has appointed a new trouble-shooting head to help turn its fortunes around.

And Gareth Dawkins - who will take up a 12-months secondment at the school next month - said today: "I really think I can make a difference."

The school was put in Special Measures by Ofsted in February and given two years to turn around.

Standards, behaviour, attitudes, leadership and management were all found to be unsatisfactory by inspectors and a report said governors and teachers had suffered a severe staffing difficulty which had left the senior management team "beleaguered and battered". Blackburn with Darwen council has since set in place an ambitious action plan to help transform the school.

Just one week after the Ofsted announcement, there was a shake-up of the school's management when all 20 of the governors were suspended.

Four weeks later headteacher Richard Bridges announced his intention to retire after 14 years.

Mr Dawkins, 45, whose leadership skills have been described as "outstanding" by Ofsted inspectors is currently head of Bradford's Challenge College, a mixed community comprehensive for 13- to 18-year-olds, which is fully staffed and over subscribed.

He has been at the leading edge of national education developments such as overseeing the college's application for technical college status and is also chairman of the Bradford School Headteachers' Group.

He will take over as head of the school for a period of 12 months from April 19.

He said: "I will be looking to make some rapid improvements.

"It is nice to have such massive recognition and it is an outstanding compliment.

"The authority over there is taking quite a radical approach I suppose by parachuting someone in but they saw our leadership described as outstanding in the Ofsted report.

"I see in the school in Darwen scope for enormous potential and real opportunity for development and I believe I can work with people there.

"I really think I can make a difference to them."

He added: "To leave a school as good as Challenge is a very big decision but I am really pleased in one way.

"Normally in Bradford we hear about people coming in to sort out Bradford so for this to be working the other way round is great news."

Mahfooz Hussain, executive member for education and lifelong learning at Blackburn and Darwen Council, said: "Mr Dawkins has an excellent track record as a headteacher and I am delighted he will be joining Blackburn with Darwen to lead Moorland High School."

Mark Pattison, Education Bradford's managing director, said: "We are always pleased when a Bradford headteacher is able to use their skills to assist other schools."