GORDON BROWN last night toasted a North-East school as among the most improved in the country – only two years after he threatened to axe it.

However, the headteacher of Shotton Hall, in Peterlee, County Durham – one of eight from the North-East to be honoured – was not at the Downing Street reception after his invitation failed to arrive.

In 2007, Shotton Hall was among schools threatened with closure when Mr Brown vowed to “end failure” in education.

Only 26 per cent of its pupils were achieving five highgrade GCSEs, including English and maths – short of a target of 30 per cent, announced by the Prime Minister.

Two years on, that proportion has risen to 46 per cent, after a concerted drive to convince students that anything is possible. It is tipped to reach 55 per cent in the summer.

However, headteacher Ian Mowbray missed meeting Mr Brown after his invitation to the reception failed to turn up.

It is not known whether or not it had been posted out.

When The Northern Echo broke the news that he should have been in Downing Street last night, Mr Mowbray said: “That is a real disappointment.

There is nothing I would have liked better.”

The other seven North-East schools on the invitation list were: St John’s CE primary, in Shildon, County Durham; Tanfield Science and Engineering College, in Stanley, County Durham; St Patrick’s RC Comprehensive, in Stockton; Brighton Avenue primary, in Gateshead; Thomas Hepburn Community Comprehensive, in Gateshead; St Mary’s Catholic Comprehensive, in Newcastle; and Collingwood primary, in North Tyneside.

They all achieved big rises in GCSE results or improvements in English, maths and science for 11-year-olds.

Mr Brown said: “These headteachers have been pivotal to driving up standards.”

Mr Mowbray said: “We needed to raise expectations so that everyone – pupils, parents and staff – believed that anything is possible, even if you come from a relatively deprived area.”