SIX Bolton teachers have left their jobs after being told to do better or face the sack.

The six gave up their jobs after schools were given new powers to get tough with weak teachers.

Under the new rules, headteachers have the power to warn teachers that they face dismissal unless their work improves within a maximum of 12 months.

Alternatively, a new fast track system allows schools to sack teachers within four weeks if they are found to be seriously threatening children's education.

During the first 12 months of the new regime 3,000 teachers up and down the country were warned about their work and 600 of those were later sacked, redeployed or retired. Thirty were sacked using the fast track system.

Seven teachers working in Bolton schools were warned about the standard of their work and six either retired early or left their job soon afterwards. The seventh improved within months of the warning and was allowed to carry on in the classroom. All worked in primary schools.

Bolton LEA schools chief, Ian Glaister, said: "Schools have started formal procedures in seven cases.

"Six effectively resigned or retired before that process was completed. They were not sacked. I do not know the individual circumstances but I imagine they decided for themselves that they were not suited to the profession.

"The other is a success story and the process worked. The teacher addressed the problems and there was a definite improvement."

The identities of none of the teachers involved have been revealed.

Headteachers usually identify poor teachers and try and resolve any problems with their work through extra training. Teachers are given defined targets for improvement within set time scales.

However, teaching unions say the small number indicates Ofsted chief Chris Woodhead is wrong when he claims there are 15,000 incompetent teachers.

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