EVERY governor at Minster College on Sheppey has resigned following the announcement that the school is being put under special measures.

Acting head teacher Ruth Rundle has also been sidelined by Kent County Council. A new acting head teacher and advisory head teacher will be brought in a bid to turn the school around.

Sheppey County Councillor Matt Wheatcroft (Lab) was one of the governors who quit during a meeting with education chiefs.

He said: "It was a very stressful evening. The governors were strongly committed to a recovery from special measures. Many will regret not having the chance to take part in that.

"At least two of them have been on a governing body of a school that has just been called excellent by Ofsted. They will be wondering how they can be excellent and failures at the same time."

KCC's assistant director of education, Dr Ian Craig, had warned that the Local Education Authority could, under new powers, sack the whole governing body if it is criticised,as expected, in the inspection report due out next week.

Inspectors are expected to raise concerns about the school's financial management.

The LEA says it is now seeking Government permission to set up a new interim executive board to manage the school.

Mrs Rundle, who has been praised by departing governors and the LEA for her efforts as acting head, will be reverting to her previous role as deputy head teacher.

Dr Craig said: "This is not a criticism of Ruth. She has done a very good job as acting head, but this is the second biggest school in Kent. It's unusual for a school if its size, and one in special measures, to have a head teacher without significant headship experience."

Graham Badman, KCC's director of education, said the aim was to restore faith in the school. He stressed: "There are hundreds of youngsters in the school who deserve our support. Action will be taken, and swiftly."

* The news comes as education chiefs launch a consultation exercise on the possible abolition of Sheppey's middle school system in a bid to increase school capacity and tackle the island's below-average attainment at all levels of the national curriculum.