Ref. 27054-1HEADLANDS School has launched an aggressive recruitment campaign in a bid to find 25 teachers by June.

The school, currently being revamped under a £1 million Fresh Start Government initiative, is embarking on a recruitment roadshow, which stretches to Wales and Ireland.

An eye-catching advertisement, created by Swindon Council's marketing team, has also appeared in the Times Educational Supplement.

The ad, which features a picture of a battered Reliant Scimitar, reads: "One car for sale. Poor condition. Needs lots of work. Would suit enthusiast. Lots of potential."

David Williams, head teacher of Kingsdown School, who is acting as executive head of Headlands under a federation arrangement, is backing the recruitment drive.

He said: "We cannot sit back and do nothing. We need to go out there and find quality candidates. The car image is an interesting approach and we will have to see what happens."

If several vacancies are still outstanding next month, Mr Williams will set his sights on Australia.

He said: "We have to cover all bases to meet our high standards. If we don't find the staff, I will consider flying out to Australia. It's been done before and the teachers have proved to be first class."

On Thursday Mr Williams will join Nicky Barton, headteacher at Headlands, and Jane McDonald, recruitment manager at Swindon Council, on a recruitment roadshow targeting areas where there are surplus teachers. Newport, Swansea, Cardiff and Belfast all feature on the recruitment trail which lasts until May 12.

Displays showcasing the advantages of living and working in Swindon will be set up in hotels, where potential candidates will be invited to attend, via announcements on local radio.

Mr Williams said: "This is a creative way of selling Swindon as a town. We have to pull all the stops out to attract the right quantity and quality of teachers."

The main teacher shortages are for subjects such as maths and design and technology. There are also middle management vacancies, with posts for three heads of year, heads of English and design technology.

The Fresh Start initiative means Headlands School will close at the end of the academic year and be 'reborn,' keeping the same name, in September. All 50 staff must reapply for their jobs.

Coun Garry Perkins (Con, Shaw and Nine Elms), the council's lead member for education, is enthusiastic about the campaign.

He said: "This is great. The ad is a novel idea that will hopefully grab people's attention. Hitting the road is another pro-active way of finding good teachers. We need to go where the expertise is, so I fully support the plans."

Robert Stagg, 39, of Cricklade Road, has a 14-year-old daughter, Kimberley, who attends the school.

He said: "Headlands needs to get teachers in, so I guess anything is worth a try. Methods used in the past don't seem to have worked. House prices are high, so there needs to be more incentives to come."

Jennifer Long, 52, of Pinehurst Road, also thinks it will take more than an ad to attract prime candidates.

She said: "I have had four kids go through that school. It needs new teachers to sort the job out. A bad reputation sticks so it won't be easy."

Victoria Tagg