ADDINGTON High has a new principal – and he says "good manners" and "traditional values" will be vital in continuing the school's revival.
Martin Giles, vice-principal at Harris Academy in Morden, is due to take over at the New Addington school in September.
The design technology teacher will replace James Malley, acting principal since the departure of Tim Davies in February 2013.
Mr Giles said he was "driven by a very simple belief that every child deserves a first-class education".
He added: "I have high aspirations for all students at Addington High School.
"My professional experience shows that each student is capable of remarkable things when teachers work tirelessly to ensure that they each have every opportunity to develop as an exceptional leader and contributor to society.
"To develop this belief at Addington High School I will be promoting traditional values of good manners, hard work, outstanding behaviour and smart uniform. I am honoured to have been entrusted with the position of principal and am very excited about taking up the position."
Addington High became an academy in June last year, after years of poor results, accusations of bad behaviour from students, and scandals involving teachers.
Last summer, it posted its best-ever GCSE results, with 49 per cent of pupils achieving the benchmark five A* to C grades.
James Cleverly, chair of directors for Ravens Wood Learning Trust, the school's academy sponsor, announced the appointment in a letter to parents.
He said Mr Giles "will bring a commitment to developing high standards in learning and teaching to the school coupled with an attitude of respect for all."
Mr Giles started his teaching career in 1994 at a high school in Glasgow, before moving to London in 1999 to work as head of technology at a "challenging inner-city school" in Camberwell. He spent eight years there as assistant head teacher and two as acting deputy head teacher.
He then moved to what is now Harris Academy Morden, which used to be Bishopsford Art College but was taken over by the Harris Federation after being judged "inadequate" by Ofsted in 2012.
Ofsted spoke highly of the school in March last year, saying the new academy's "drive for improvement" was "relentless".
