THE letter claiming that introduction of an Interim Executive Board for Oxford School is undemocratic (Oxford Mail, January 28) paints a very partial picture.

The school was designated as a National Challenge School in 2008, because standards of attainment over a period of time did not reach the national benchmark for five or more A* to C GCSE grades (including English and maths).

National legislation requires local authorities to intervene where there are grounds for concern. During 2009, the council issued two formal warning notices to the governing body.

The application to replace the governing body was approved by the Government.

The IEB is there to provide effective governance, with a focus on raising standards of attainment. The IEB, in parallel with most governing bodies, doesn’t meet in public but notes of meetings are made available in due course.

The board’s members were selected for their ability to provide better governance and comprise people with great expertise in this area, including some with previous knowledge of Oxford School.

The school’s recent improvement may be attributed to a number of factors, including additional National Challenge and Local Authority funding and support, interim headship arrangements and, of course, work of the staff. Concerns remain, however, about the school’s capacity to sustain these improvements as a consequence of the end of the National Challenge in 2011 and the falling pupil roll.

With regard to the future, the Academy route remains the county council’s preferred option, and discussions continue with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to find a new sponsor.

MICHAEL WAINE, Cabinet Member for School Improvement, Oxfordshire County Council