A BROMSGROVE high school is to get a new head in September - the fourth in three years.

North Bromsgrove High School is still in special measures two years after an Ofsted report classed it as a failing school.

Leading troubleshooter Nick Browne was drafted in 12 months ago in a bid to turn the school around. Now he is leaving to be replaced at the start of the next academic year by Sue Ballard. Mrs Ballard will be the fourth head the school has had since 2003 when Clive Pemberton replaced Kevin Peck, who had been at North for 12 years.

Mr Peck left to take over The Chase, Malvern, in the summer of 2002 and the school carried on with an acting head until January, 2003.

Shortly afterwards, an Ofsted inspection slammed the school in a report and North became the first high school in Worcestershire to be put on special measures.

The standard of education was said to be poor and North had one of the worst records for exclusions in the country. Mr Pemberton left in July, 2004, for a job with the education department and Nick Browne took over. An Ofsted spokeswoman said the school had been subject to a visit each term since being put on special measures and that this would continue until it was allowed to come out.

"We would normally expect a school to be making progress after two years," she said.

A spokesman for Worcestershire education department said Mrs Ballard was an experienced headteacher who had been in charge of schools in Dudley and Birmingham.

"Nick Browne was only ever going to be at the school for a year," he said. "Sue Ballard has a lot of experience of working with improving schools."

Mike Stephens, chairman of the governors, said the inspectors report a continuous improvement and he is looking forward to the time when North comes out of special measures. For Mrs Ballard it will be her third headship. She brings with her good experience of schools in a similar position as North, said Mr Stephens.

He added: "We are grateful to Nick Browne for what he has achieved during his period at the school."