A SHADOW governing body has been formed at Richmond School as the school looks to move forward after recent upheaval.

The body will take up the reigns from the interim executive board (IEB) which has been in place for just over a year after the previous governing body resigned en-masse.

The governors acted after receiving a warning notice from North Yorkshire County Council following a breakdown in the relationship with the headmaster Ian Robertson.

The county council said the IEB had stabilised governance of the school and ensured it was in a strong position to move forward.

Officials said the move to a shadow governing body was in line with national statutory guidance.

The body is expected to be in place for up to a year.

The shadow governing body membership is:

- David Lawrenson (a current IEB member) - chair and local authority member

- Andrew Cotterell, Caroline Hall and Julie Moody - parent governors

- Judy Hooton, James Robson, Andy McCarthy and Philippa Cooper (all current IEB members) - co-opted members

- Lesley Abbey, lead teacher for P- staff member

- Ian Robertson - headteacher

The local authority said the membership of the body reflected its wish to fully represent parental perspectives, with the number of parent governors increasing from two, as initially intended, to three.

Officials added that its membership also will ensure that the knowledge and expertise of the IEB was fully embedded during this transitional phase.

County Councillor Arthur Barker, North Yorkshire’s executive member for schools, said: “I wish to express my sincere appreciation for the dedication and commitment of the chair and all current members of the interim executive board.

"I was pleased to see the quality of their work fully recognised and applauded in the recent Ofsted inspection and in the light of the Ofsted feedback we are keen to see considerable continuity from the interim executive board. I am grateful to those IEB members who have expressed interest in joining the new shadow governing body.

“We are confident that this school will now move forward into a promising and exciting future.”

Colonel Stephen Padgett, who stands down as chair of the IEB, will complete his tour of duty as Garrison Commander in Catterick in May.

He said that he was satisfied that the IEB has "largely" addressed key challenges and that while plenty remained to be done, Richmond School has much to be proud of.