THE man in charge of Oxford’s struggling primary schools denied poor results were the reason as he stepped down yesterday.

Michael Waine, Oxfordshire County Council’s schools improvement boss, has left the ruling cabinet.

Mr Waine is being replaced by fellow Conservative Melinda Tilley after six years as cabinet member for schools. He will continue as county councillor for Bicester.

At the council meeting yesterday it was also announced that growth and infrastructure chief Ian Hudspeth would no longer be a cabinet member. In February, it emerged that pupils at Oxford primary schools were being outperformed by pupils in Tower Hamlets, London’s poorest borough, on key tests in reading, writing and maths.

Last year’s Key Stage One results for seven-year-olds were lower in Oxford City Council’s boundaries than anywhere else in England, while Key Stage Two results for 11-year-olds were in the bottom 10 per cent.

Mr Waine said: “Me standing down from the cabinet is a matter of personal choice and one I made two years ago. This has been planned and there is no connection with school exam results.

“There are pockets within the local authority of schools that are under-achieving for their pupils in the primary sector and those pockets are being tackled.”

In a letter to headteachers dated May 12, Mr Waine described his cabinet role as a “tremendous responsibility and challenge” and said: “The last six years have not been the most generous for Oxfordshire from a capital point of view.

“Despite that, we have seen a steady county building programme of new schools and other major projects to provide high-quality learning environments fit for the 21st century.”

Council leader Keith Mitchell refused to be drawn on whether he had sacked Mr Hudspeth following his failed leadership challenge before the local elections.

Thame and Chinnor county councillor Nick Carter also challenged the leader in the secret ballot of the Tory group.

Mr Hudspeth’s growth and infrastructure portfolio has been handed to Conservative Lorraine Lindsay-Gale.

Mr Mitchell said: “Ian is a very hard-working man and has a good future. He is very bright and has expressed an interest in scrutinising the council’s adult services work.”

Mr Hudspeth, who joined the cabinet in 2007, said Mr Mitchell informed him of his decision in an “amicable discussion” over a glass of wine at the Feathers Hotel in Woodstock.

He added: “The leader decides the make-up of his cabinet. I’m disappointed that I am not part of his cabinet. I fully respect the leader’s decision.”

Conservative Patrick Greene, member for Moreton, is the new council chairman, while the new vice-chairman is Conservative Don Seale, member for Bampton.

THE REPLACEMENTS Lorraine Lindsay-Gale is Conservative county councillor for Dorchester and Berinsfield, and becomes responsible for the county’s growth and infratstructure.

Born and bred in Oxfordshire, Ms Lindsay-Gale worked in advertising until deciding to switch career.

She gained a BA Hons at Reading and a Professional Diploma at Oxford in order to become an archaeologist.

Until December 2008, she worked at Oxford Archaeology as their corporate communications officer. Her interests include protecting the environment and conserving the country’s heritage.

She is divorced with a married daughter and two grandchildren.

Melinda Tilley, 67, is Conservative county councillor for Kingston Bagpuize and now takes reponsibility for schools improvement.

She has been married to husband Frank for 36 years and they have three children.

Her husband is a retired flight engineer. She is also a district councillor on Vale of White Horse District Council for Kingston Bagpuize and Southmoor.

Mrs Tilley’s profession is the scientific study of gemstones and she works as an examiner for the Gemmological Association in Hatton Garden in London.