A MANAGEMENT team costing more than £300,000 a year is set to be brought in to turn round a failing high school.

Job adverts have been placed in the national education press for four posts at the school set to replace Queen's Park Technology College next April.

Unions today slammed the high wages on offer - claiming the money could have been better spent providing support to headteacher Ian Bott and existing staff at the Shadsworth Road school.

They revealed the wage of the most junior of the new management team was higher than that of many local headteachers.

In the job advert, in the Times Educational Supplement, Blackburn with Darwen Council is offering £85,000 for a headteacher, £68,000 for the senior deputy head, £60,000 for the second deputy head and £53,000 for the assistant head.

Performance related pay will also be included in the packages.

According to union statistics, the head's wage is £20,000 more than the national average. They suggest the wage bracket for a head at a school of Queen's Park's size should be between £48,000 and £67,000.

Plans to close Queen's Park currently in special measures - were announced this month, after the school returned one of the worst sets of GCSE results in the country.

The new school, in existing buildings, is expected to have a new name and the same pupils, butstaff have been told to re-apply for their jobs.

Peter Morgan, director of education at the council, said: "We want to appoint a headteacher with a great deal of experience which they can bring to restarting this school. It's important the salary is attractive and competitive to reflect the experience and dynamism needed."

But Simon Jones, from the local National Union of Teachers, said: "Where has this money come from? It would have been better to help the existing staff and headteacher.

"The money offered is way and above what people in similar posts at other schools on the borough are on."

Paul Browne, leader of the Lib Dems at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "This is being done with no assurance of any more success."

And Colin Rigby, leader of the Conservatives, added: "I fear the costs will spiral out of control. How much is it going to cost to make the existing staff redundant? "

Pupils have also spoken for their concern that new teachers won't solve the problem.

One GCSE-aged pupil said: "We sit our GCSEs a month after the new school opens. It doesn't matter how much they are on, they won't know us as well as the other teachers."

A spokesman of the National Association of Headteachers said it was campaigning for better wages for headteachers.

So what's the deal?

Headteacher: £85,000

Senior deputy head: £68,000

Second deputy head: 60,000

Assistant head teacher: £53,000 (2 posts)

And what the ad says

"We are starting a new 600 place, 11-16 school on April 4 with new resources, a new name, a new team and a new future for pupils currently attending Queen's Park Technology College.

"We taking this measure to create a school at the heart of the community. You've already improved the fortunes of other schools through innovation and creativity. This will be your biggest challenge yet. Join us a head teacher, senior deputy, second deputy or one of two assistant heads, and you'll give a future they've never dreamed of to children who deserve it the most."