EDUCATION chiefs are so confident that Oriel High in Gorleston will become an academy in September that they are advertising for a �110,000-a-year principal to lead it.

EDUCATION chiefs are so confident that Oriel High in Gorleston will become an academy in September that they are advertising for a �110,000-a-year principal to lead it.

Norfolk County Council and potential lead sponsor the Ormiston Trust are seeking a “principal designate” to start work from Easter.

The closing date for applications is January 22, with interviews slated for January 28 and 29.

The academy has not yet got the go-ahead from the government, while similar schemes at The Park High in King's Lynn and Costessey High, near Norwich, are also not yet guaranteed.

However, adverts have been posted for principal designates for all three academies.

A council spokesman said: “We are hopeful that academies will open at The Park, Costessey and Oriel in September and, alongside the lead sponsors, wanted to start the recruitment process as quickly as possible to ensure we find the highest quality leaders.

“Any appointments would be subject to the academies being established and the schools closing in their current forms.”

The move came as Oriel High's GCSE results were published in the government school performance tables. The government wants all high schools to reach the floor target by 2011 of 30pc of 16-year-olds getting five or more A*-C GCSEs including English and maths. Oriel was one of four schools in Norfolk that fell short, with 23pc.

Those still falling short in 2011 have been told they could be closed down or turned into academies. The threat appears to be academic for Oriel, which seems certain to open as an academy in its current buildings from September.

The proposed academy would be under lead sponsor The Ormiston Trust, which has sponsored numerous academies across England, alongside education partners the county council and Gresham's School at Holt.

The successful applicant could earn as much as �135,000 per year. The advert says the post has the “potential to combine with the post of executive director for transformation and standards with the Ormiston Academies Trust”, which would attract an “additional responsibility allowance” of �25,000 per year.