In a hard-hitting speech in the House of Commons, MP Stewart Jackson called on the Government to speed up action on failing schools.

Last Thursday, St John Fisher Roman Catholic School headteacher Mary Mihovilovic resigned citing personal reasons – three days after the Department for Education gave Peterborough City Council permission to sack the board of governors.

It came five months after Peterborough City Council gave the school an official warning notice under the Education and Inspections Act 2006, following allegations of bullying, a decline in Key Stage 4 standards and concerns over a large turnover of teachers.

Blaming "practical flaws" in the act that relates to failing schools, Mr Jackson told the House that children at the 744-pupil school in Reeves Way, Eastfield, were "adversely affected by an ineffectual headteacher, a weak and compliant governing body and a local education authority (LEA) that was was willing to act, but circumscribed by legislation".

Mr Jackson went on to say that the governing body agreed to establish a £20,000 fund for legal fees to enable Mrs Mihovilovic "to send legal letters to people who fell foul of her, including some to the LEA and the diocesan board".

Mr Jackson said that action on failing schools must be speeded up – for the sake of the pupils.

He said: "We must remember that some of the most deprived children in my constituency have lost a vital year in their education."

After the LEA issued a warning notice on February 27, the school ignored a series of deadlines to comply with council demands.

Pressure mounted when St John Fisher was placed on what Mr Jackson called the "infamous list" of 638 failing schools on June 10.

Two days later, an Ofsted report rated the school "inadequate" in 19 out of 26 categories, prompting the Government to place the school in special measures.

On long-standing issues at the school, Mr Jackson said: "In the past four years, results have plummeted, the school has had difficulty in attracting and retaining newly qualified teachers and the headteacher was the only headteacher in the country who refused to take part in the excellence clusters programme.

"Trade unions surveyed the staff and the results that were presented to the governing body showed a culture of centralised control, bullying and intimidation. This was routinely dismissed by the governing body as an attack on the head.

"The senior management team refused to communicate with outside bodies such as the diocesan board, the LEA and Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

"'Difficult' governors were removed and teachers who would not co-operate with the head were asked to resign or made redundant."

Former headteacher of St Albans School, in Ipswich, Sean Hayes was announced as Mrs Mihovilovic's successor last week, while an interim executive board has replaced the sacked board of governors.

Related: Your Letters, 23 July 2008

Special Report: St John Fisher School.