THE girl from inner-city Manchester who failed her A-levels became Education Secretary today.

Born in Ancoats and raised in Wythenshawe, Estelle Morris was widely tipped for the post.

Her rapid rise through the Labour ranks should come as no surprise to the girl with politics in her blood.

Her father Charles was MP for Audenshaw until 1983 and a former parliamentary private secretary to Harold Wilson.

Her uncle is Lord Morris, long-serving MP for Wythenshawe and former minister for the disabled, who now sits in the House of Lords.

Estelle's mother Pauline has also been active in the Labour party. Estelle, who lives in Birmingham, has never been married and has no children. Born in Manchester, she moved with her family to Wythenshawe when she was four.

She went to Whalley Range High School - then a girl's grammar school - and despite failing her A-levels she went on to get a teacher's certificate.

She was then accepted at Warwick University to complete a Bachelor of Education degree and started her career in PE, later moving into humanities and careers education.

Nine years ago, she was elected an MP and moved out of the classroom.

Since joining the Department of Education and Employment as under-secretary in 1997, she has ensured that all four-year-olds will have a nursery place from next month and has announced the largest increase in the number of specialist schools.

Lord Morris paid tribute to his niece and said: ''I'm absolutely delighted at Estelle's promotion.

''She does not have the easiest seat to win, facing a three-way contest and also a wealthy Liberal Democrat rival. We have had a chat about her swift promotion.

''She is a very nice person and when she joined Parliament I was delighted she had a close relation who had been there as an MP for 28 years.''

Dame Jean Else is headteacher at Whalley Range High School for Girls, where Estelle was once a pupil.

Dame Jean said: ''She is grounded in reality and she has actually done the job.

''There couldn't be anybody better. I am thrilled.

''I just hope her first visit as Secretary of State will be to her old school.''