A bid for academy status is to continue the transformation of a Maidstone school.

Astor of Hever Community School, in Oakwood Park, Maidstone, was struggling with poor results and behaviour.

Since April, there have been improvements in teaching standards, a £2.2 million building programme, and a strict uniform code.

Executive head teacher Jon Whitcombe was drafted in to help turn it around and is now planning to acquire academy status.

Academies are state-funded schools run by private sponsors.

Mr Whitcombe said: “Academy status would be of tremendous benefit to the school community. It will help us to continue at a much faster pace with the improvements.”

Mr Whitcombe is also confident of improved exam results next year - he hopes to see a 50 per cent increase in the number of pupils gaining grades A* to C.

The school’s sports centre, which controversially closed to outside groups in August, reopens to the public in the evenings in January.

Maidstone already has two academies, New Line Learning, in Boughton Lane, and Cornwallis, in Hubbards Lane, both of which are run by the New Line Learning Academies’ Federation Trust.