THE headteacher of a school ordered to improve its GCSE results has hit back, saying the Government has been sending "conflicting messages."

The Government is targeting 638 schools across the country that have had less than 30 per cent of their pupils achieving five GCSEs at grade C or above, including George Mitchell School, in Farmer Road, Leyton.

The school has been told it must meet the 30 per cent threshold in three years or face closure.

This is despite receiving a good Ofsted report three years ago and being rated as the eighth best school in the borough in this year's contextual value added tables, which take into account pupils' backgrounds.

George Mitchell headteacher Helen Jeffery said: "It is about time the Government got its act together.

"On the one hand they publish a list of schools that are not meeting the threshold but another branch of Government says many of the 638 schools are doing well.

"The 30 per cent is a completely ludicrous, random target.

"It does not take into account contextual information at all, it is recognised that we are the school with the most challenging circumstances in the whole authority.

"In 2005 Ofsted ruled that we were a good school. We were inspected again last week and although we are awaiting the formal report from the inspection early indications suggest the Ofsted assessment will be no different to what it was in 2005."

Walthamstow Academy, in Billet Road, is also on the list, despite recently winning a Specialist Schools and Academies Trust award for its pupils' progress.

Under the Government's £400m National Challenge plan, schools must reach the 30 per cent benchmark within three years.

The Government will offer schools on the list extra funding, advice and mentoring from experienced headteachers.

It says there is no simple link between deprivation and underachievement.

Local authorities will be given 50 days to put together a plan to improve the schools.

Christine Blower, Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "While at long last the Government appears to have recognised that it is better to provide support and resources to schools in the toughest areas, I cannot understand the logic of saying that 29% of pupils with 5 GCSE A-C represents failure and 31% signifies success.

"I urge him to drop the phrase 'poorest performing schools'. It is unfair and inaccurate. Very many have good inspection reports.

"If Ed Balls is to provide meaningful support to the 638 secondary schools he has identified he has to lift the threat of school closure for failing to meet arbitrary targets.

"No head teacher or teacher mindful of their career will join a National Challenge school if they think it will be closed and turned into an Academy in the following year.

"We have to make sure that teachers working in these schools will do so because they believe their commitment will be recognised and their careers will be enhanced not undermined".