Another primary school in special measures has been left without a headteacher after a superhead shipped in to turn it around declined the job at the last minute.

Vicki Gogerly, former headteacher at Applegarth Junior School, in New Addington, left before half term after inspectors decided it was not making enough progress. It was put into special measures in October last year.

Mrs Gogerly was due to be replaced by Lee Mason-Ellis, the headteacher of Stewart Fleming Primary school in Anerley.

But he decided at the last minute not to take up the position due to personal reasons leaving the school leaderless.

The council are arranging for another headteacher Terry Cefai, from Wolsey Infants and Nursery School, to take over at Applegarth.

A council spokeswoman said: “The headteacher has now left Applegarth Junior School. Lee Mason-Ellis was identified through the Department of Education to take over the leadership of the school, and an arrangement was reached, but for personal reasons he was unable to take up the Executive Headship.

“This action was completely unexpected and the local authority has taken swift action to make alternative arrangements.

“At present the deputy headteacher is managing the school, and discussions are taking place to enable Terry Cefai, Headteacher at Wolsey Infants and Nursery School, a school judged to be outstanding by Ofsted, to also take on leadership of Applegarth Juniors.

“We are fully committed to supporting Terry Cefai and would like to thank her for working with us to ensure that pupils at Applegarth Junior School receive the best possible education.”

  An Ofsted report for Applegarth Junior School from September last year criticised “inadequate teaching” restricting pupils' progress. Inspectors found some children had not improved their writing skills and others struggled with the difference between a bar graph and a line graph.

This comes less than a week after a fiasco at Oval Primary School which saw a popular headteacher removed and replaced with executive headteacher Craig Tunstall of the Gipsy Hill Federation.

He was ousted after just 48 hours by furious parents and teachers because of harsh discipline measures imposed on children.

Five were excluded for offences such as not wearing a coat in the playground and not eating their school dinner.

Councillor Simon Hall, for Fieldway ward, said: “The school is going through difficult times and being without a headteacher is not a good thing.

“This comes directly after the Oval Primary School case.

“A school in this situation needs leadership. The council acting as the LEA cannot get its act together which is a real concern.”