There will be some schools that will treat the arrival of superheads to help and advise them with suspicion. We hope and trust that they will greet these new arrivals with an open mind.

It can only be good for heads and governing bodies to be challenged and supported by experienced heads with a track record of achievement.

Indeed, we think it should be part of the service provided to all schools by Oxfordshire County Council whatever their level of achievement.

This week's publication of key Stage 3 results were encouraging as was the outstanding Ofsted report into Cherwell School. Many of our schools are performing well and there is evidence that we could see a good improvement in GCSE results in a couple of years time.

Employing superheads over the next three years will play a part in that. But this should not be a three-year strategy. The county council cannot lay the blame for underperformance solely at the door of schools. It must ensure that it is providing the appropriate level of support and challenge for years to come.