THE new headteacher at St Laurence School, Bradford on Avon, promised to try and get the school out of financial dire straits as he took over at the start of the new term this week.

James Colquhoun started work on Monday as the replacement for Nick Sorensen who resigned last April.

Mr Colquhoun left a job as headteacher in a Fresh Start school in Newcastle where the Government amalgamated several failing schools into one.

In July 2003, St Laurence School governors announced a debt of £70,000 and five teachers were made redundant to cut costs.

Chairman of governors Vivien Davies said: "It is going to take a minimum of three years to work through the financial problems.

"We all know Mr Colquhoun cannot work magic but his arrival at the school is very welcome."

Mr Colquhoun said he wanted St Laurence to be a thriving dynamic school in time.

He said: "We will have to cut costs where we can in the future. I have exciting but challenging times ahead."

He also warned pupils he would be tough on bad behaviour.

He said: "Three things are central to my plans for the school and that is to restore confidence, improve quality and raise standards.

"To restore confidence for parents and pupils we have to decide what sort of school we want and that comes from consensus and talking to the pupils and parents themselves. There are going to be changes, but it is too early to say what form they will take.

"Appearance is an issue and I will be looking at the school dress code and how students behave on their journey to and from school and on the edges of school grounds. They are ambassadors for the school and I do not know how well they know that yet."

Michelle Rose's daughter Amanda, 14, was one of the first pupils this term threatened with exclusion after returning to school with red highlights in her hair.

Mrs Rose, a former St Laurence pupil, met the headmaster on Tuesday and agreed to make sure her daughter did not colour her hair in future.

She said: "I agree with his stance on uniform in principle but I honestly do not believe coloured hair is an issue.

"I think school is the time when children should be able to experiment a little bit."

Mrs Rose said she thought the school was in desperate need of consistency and over the past year children have started thinking they can get away with flaunting school rules.

She said: "Because I have heard good reports about Mr Colquhoun's work at his last school I have backed down over the hair issue. My principles tell me not to, but my child's education is crucial and I hope she will be back in school later in the week.

"Because the children have had such a mixed environment at school recently it is going to take a while for them to get use to adhering to rules.

"At the end of the day we have got to support this guy and we have to give him a chance."