The model of so-called superheads, the men and women on highly-paid, short-term contracts who swoop into failing schools and turn them round, is deeply flawed, according to research.

Once the wonder woman (or man) departs, the school can soon slide back unless steps have been taken to ensure a new management structure can carry on the reforms.

The Australian-based research (see box below) by London University’s Institute of Education found the strategy led to a dependency culture, and the upward momentum was difficult to sustain once the charismatic superhead left.

This is not exactly a surprising find for David Kershaw. He was plucked out of semi-retirement to take on the task of reviving the struggling Bradford Cathedral community college in West Yorkshire.

“The notion of a superhead has serious weaknesses,” he said. “The evidence produced in this research confirms my own gut feeling and observations.

“From the outset we used a model where I was working with two assistant heads, one of whom is going to become the acting head,” he said.

“Over the next 18 months I am going to gradually reduce my role to being an executive head giving support and advice on strategy.”

He said that when he departs the systems will be in place and the staff trained to sustain the improvements. “We have got a real spirit of co-operation to tackle the problems of teaching and learning and pupil behaviour, and to make necessary and significant progress where we are building in a team.”

Mr Kershaw, 60, now runs the Bradford school, which last year scored the third-worst GCSE results in the country. Only 5 per cent of pupils gained five A* to C grades. He was working part-time as a consultant for Education Bradford when the previous head resigned in November after the results were published.

In most cases of failing schools a new head is appointed. The average time taken to turn around a school is 20 months.

Mr Kershaw said: “It is my job to identify talented people in the school, to inspire, support and occasionally to challenge them, and the school is beginning to make progress.

“In the 10 working weeks I have been here we have made progress in behaviour and relationships. Now we are beginning to focus on teaching and learning, and we are doing it as a team. Clearly I am going to have an important role but I am not going to do it all myself.”

He was looking forward to just working a couple of days a week after retiring from Coundon Court school and community college in Coventry last August. He was head there for 22 years and he saw the proportion of pupils gaining five A*-C grade GCSEs soar from 28 per cent 10 years ago to 70 per cent last year.

“I felt I had done everything I could do there and it was the right time to go.”

Now he spends four days a week in Bradford, living in a hotel, while his wife Vivien continues to work as a primary teacher in Coventry.

He said: “It was a very brief retirement but I love this new challenge. It has confirmed for me that young people in any circumstances can achieve great things if they are given talented teachers who insist on high standards of behaviour and achievement.

“I have children queuing up to show me the work they have done. The children love being praised and I am loving the job.

“I just want to share my experience. It is challenging but gives terrific rewards.”