A BEACON school is heading a rescue package to help a troubled comprehensive to improve its results.

A month ago, Eastbourne Comprehensive in Darlington was rocked by the sudden resignation of headteacher Richard Appleton after seven years at the school.

Chairman of governors Ian Haszeldine also resigned along with four other members of the governing body.

A new governing team, including the principal of Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in the town, was quickly appointed by the local education authority.

Eleanor Lister, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for education, Councillors Geoff Walker and Chris McEwan, as well as Paul Campbell and Gail Bowen, of the education department were also voted on to the board.

Now a plan has been drawn up to give the school more help to improve after Ofsted classed it as having 'serious weaknesses.'

Under the scheme, those in charge of Hummersknott School will help to guide the managers and leader at Eastbourne.

Geoff Pennington, director of education, said: "The education authority is keen to use the range of expertise that exists in schools in Darlington to assist and support Eastbourne Comprehensive to come out of the serious weaknesses category.

"Hummersknott is a beacon school and is therefore ideally placed to fulfill this important function."

As well as offering its own support to the team running Eastbourne, staff at Hummersknott will co-ordinate the support promised by all the schools in Darlington.

Parents of pupils at Eastbourne heard about Mr Appleton's resignation in a school newsletter.

Many expressed their concern for the continuity of their children's education.

One said: "There is so much disruption and we don't know from one day to the next what is going on. One of my children is in her GCSE year and this is the last thing she needs."

Since the resignation of Mr Appleton, deputy headteacher Karen Pemberton has been fulfilling the role.