Primary with £155,000 head plans boarding secondary

Durand Primary in Stockwell is said to be in talks with ministers over plans to open boarding facilities outside London, possibly on the site of a struggling private school.

The proposal emerged as its governors were forced to defend their decision to pay headteacher Greg Martin more than £155,000 last year for running a health spa in addition to his school duties.

Under the latest plans, the new secondary school could become one of the Government's flagship academies, privately sponsored by Durand.

Teenagers would be sent from troubled areas of Brixton to be educated in Durand's boarding school outside the capital.

Mr Martin said: "We want to get them away from hanging around streets in Brixton and Stockwell, where we have stabbings and a constant threat of trouble.

"So many children are leaving our school well educated only to be utterly failed by the secondary system.

"Billions have been spent by the Government but we're still talking about over half of teenagers failing to get five A*-Cs at GCSE."

The school's most recent Ofsted report found it "outstanding" in literacy and numeracy with above-average results, despite half of pupils struggling with language difficulties when they join.

The Department for Schools said no final decision had been taken on the proposals.