A HEADTEACHER who was in charge of a school with one of the worst truancy rates in the country has been reprimanded by the national teaching watchdog for failing to keep an accurate register.

Karen Pemberton, the former head of Eastbourne School, in Darlington, appeared before the General Teaching Council (GTC), in Birmingham, yesterday, where she admitted unacceptable professional conduct.

The former deputy head of the school, Keith Ruston, was also reprimanded for failure to keep an accurate register and instructing staff to make changes to registration records.

Ms Pemberton was suspended from the school in May 2005 following a damning audit report commissioned by Darlington Borough Council.

The GTC committee heard that she had delegated the responsibility of the register to Mr Ruston because she was "under pressure" trying to bring the failing school out of special measures.

Mr Ruston, who worked at the school for 38 years and has since retired, was also accused of influencing staff responses during the council investigation into the school, although the accusation was not proved.

The chairwoman of the committee, Sashi Siva, said it was acceptable for Ms Pemberton to delegate responsibility for the register to Mr Ruston. However, she said: "Having made this delegation, you had a further responsibility for monitoring that there was an accurate record kept of children's attendance.

"Your failure to accurately and satisfactorily maintain the school's attendance register during the period from 2003 to 2005 meant that a record of where certain children were during the school day was not properly kept.

"There is no suggestion that you had any direct involvement with the alteration of the register."

In 2003, the school was ranked as one of the 200 worst secondary schools in the country for truancy.

It was also placed in special measures in 2002 following an Ofsted report that said it had serious weaknesses, and was 182nd out of 200 of the worst schools based on GCSE results.

Under Ms Pemberton's tenure as head, the school joined high-performing Hurworth Comprehensive in the country's first Education Federation. It was lifted out of special measures in November 2004.

Andrew Faux, for the GTC, said: "In the case of Ms Pemberton, it is a straightforward allegation of unacceptable professional conduct.

"She failed to monitor those who she delegated that part of her job to. She did delegate responsibility and things did go wrong.

"Headship carries a heavy burden. It is not an easy role."

Ms Pemberton left Eastbourne in October 2005, five months after the council-commissioned report revealed grave concerns about the school's high levels of truancy, bullying and out-of-control pupil behaviour.

Darlington council declined to give details of any severance package she received.

Ms Pemberton is now headteacher of St Mary's CE Primary School, in South Shields, South Tyneside, which is also in special measures, but on target to be removed by Easter.

After she left Eastbourne, the school was the subject of further controversy when Darlington council planned to merge it and Hurworth into a new academy.

After widespread protests about the plan, it was dropped and Eastbourne became a Church of England-backed academy in its own right in September 2006.

It will move into a new £15.3m building this September.

A council spokesman declined to comment. The GTC reprimands will remain on the records of Mr Ruston and Ms Pemberton for two years.