THE headteacher of closure-threatened St George’s RC High School has been invited to a bash to celebrate some of the country’s most improved schools

Philip Harte, head of the school which is also a specialist technology college, received his invite to the celebration of the most improved specialist schools and academies on the same day Salford City Council published a notice to close the school.

He was invited in acknowledgement that the Walkden school’s GCSE results for five or more A* to C grades, including English and maths, have improved year on year from 2005 to 2008 by 15 percentage points, from 35 per cent to 50 per cent.

Mr Harte was invited to the celebration at the Royal College of Physicians in London from Elizabeth Reid, chief executive of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust.

He said "This is a great valediction for all the staff and pupils of who have consistently worked so hard over the last few years.

"Under any other authority such improvements would be acknowledged and recognised by the council instead of which Salford City Council maintains its dictum that this school must close.

"We will fight this notice of closure through the appropriate legal channels."

Pete Fisher, deputy headteacher at Parsonage Drive, added: "It is hugely ironic that the invitation arrived on the same day that Salford City Council formally posted their proposal to close St George’s in the Salford Advertiser."

A second round of consultation on the plans to close St George’s as part of the multi-million pound Building Schools for the Future scheme has just finished.

A notice to close the school was published last week and there are now another five weeks for people to give their comments on the plans.

After that the cabinet will make a final decision which could be appealed via the school adjudicator.

Pupils, staff and parents at the school have been fighting the plans and a second protest march is being planned over the next couple of months.