And today The Evening Telegraph can reveal that the headteacher of St John Fisher School Mary Mihovilovic has also resigned for "personal reasons".

The turn of events at the Roman Catholic secondary school, in Reeves Way, Eastfield, came after it was slammed in an Ofsted report and placed under special measures by inspectors.

Special Report: Damning Ofsted report for St John Fisher School, June 2008

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Peterborough City Council stepped in and, following approval from the Department of Education, the board, led by chairwoman Judith Jones, which had been heavily criticised in the report, was removed on Monday.

A new Interim Executive Board (IEB) was installed on Tuesday and new headteacher Sean Hayes, who has a track record of turning round schools that are in difficulties, has been parachuted in.

Mr Hayes had previously been head at St Albans School, a high-performing Catholic school in Ipswich.

The IEB, which is made up of city councillors, city council staff, police representatives and members of the diocese, met for the first time on Tuesday evening to discuss the future for the troubled school.

The new board will now focus its attention on the problem areas highlighted in the Ofsted report.

They included quality of teaching and poor results.

Interim director of children's services at the city council Ben Ticehurst said the move was good news for pupils at the school, as they could now start building on its many strengths.

He said: "I am pleased that our request to the minister for permission to appoint an IEB at St John Fisher has been approved.

"The IEB will be able to drive forward major changes which are required to improve standards at the school.

"We have been working closely with the school, police and the diocese and will continue to do so to ensure all pupils at St John Fisher receive a good standard of education and are given the opportunity to reach their full potential."

Director of schools' service in the Diocese of East Anglia Julie O'Conner, who is a member of the interim board, said: "This diocese, in partnership with Peterborough City Council and the police, will continue to work with the school to ensure that the necessary improvements are made for the benefit of the whole school community."