THE teacher whose job is to make a once failing school part of a prestigious academy admits it’ll take time to shake off the stigma.

Stephen Chamberlain officially starts as headteacher of the new Clacton Coastal Academy on Friday.

One of his principal challenges will be to move the new academy out of the shadow cast by Bishops Park College, one of the two schools which is merging to create the new institution.

Bishops Park, in Jaywick Lane, Clacton, cost more than £25million to build when it opened in 2002. It never came close its 940 capacity and was officially judged to be be failing in 2007.

Ofsted inspectors placed the school in special measures, its failings blamed by many on an “alternative” curriculum, under which subjects were taught as themes rather than in the traditional way.

Things were so bad, Bishops Park found itself at the bottom of the national GCSE league table in 2008.

Improvements were made – it came out of special measures in July – but by then the decision to combine it with Colbayns High School, in Pathfields Road, Clacton, – had more or less been made.

For the time being, the academy will use both sites, even though they are the best part of two miles apart.

However, Mr Chamberlain admits there is a real danger Bishops Park’s state-of-the-art buildings could be declared redundant unless he can convince more parents to send their children to the combined school.

He said: “No decision has been made at the moment on the future of the site.

“We still occupy it and it is dependent on pupil numbers.

“If the academy is popular, both sites could remain open.

“The key challenge is to ensure students, their families, teachers and the community see the academy as a single institution.

“I hope those barriers between the different schools diminish and we can go forward with a unified approach.”

Mr Chamberlain trained as a music teacher and worked at Clacton County High School for 11 years, leaving as deputy head to take up the headship at Burnt Mill School, Harlow.

He is convinced his new school’s academy status will help improve standards.

He explained: “With an academy comes additional resources and expertise which being part of a larger institution can bring.

“It is not going to be a quick process, but I hope we can see a more coherent emphasis on things, starting with a smart new uniform.

“We will also have expertise to support young people who need the right kind of curriculum and qualifications to take through to higher education and into the world of work.

“It’s not about change for change’s sake. With the right resources in the right places, we will give the young people in our community what they need.”

One of his first challenges is to make sure his pupils are literate, numerate and have adequate computer skills.

Improving exam results, especially in English and maths, where the schools have scored below the national average, is also very high on his list.

Mr Chamberlain hopes to use his experience in Harlow, where he took on a school with plummeting results, to help make the new academy, a success.

He talks of a “strong affection” for Clacton and says he wants to put something back into the community.

The academy’s catchment area includes Pier ward, Clacton, and Golf Green ward, Jaywick, highly-deprived areas.

Mr Chamberlain said: “The kind of challenges young people in Harlow faced are not that different from Clacton.

“When this opportunity came up, having worked here for 11 years, I felt I knew a little about the community in Clacton. I just felt I could help.”