A Wood Green school dubbed "underperforming" just two months ago is celebrating its best ever results this year.

Specialist school Woodside High in Wood Green was one of four in Haringey failing to reach the Government's minimum target of 30 per cent five GCSE passes at A-C grade, including maths and English.

But this year the school, now under the supervision of head Joan McVittie, is celebrating coming within just a few marks of this target, at 28 per cent.

Mrs McVittie can now relax slightly, but she is planning to resubmit some English papers for remarking to push this figure up above the target.

She said: "It means nothing to the children, and that's what's important, but it will mean we have hit the target. And the Government was allowing us three years from now.

"It's been an uphill struggle and the children have worked really hard."

Haringey Council has had to come up with an action plan to get Woodside achieving higher standards by 2011. Schools that fail to do this within three years may face becoming academies, the removal of their governing bodies, or worse, closure.

Mrs McVittie continued: "For us, we've shown significant progress so I think the heat is off."

And compared to last year, the progress has been significant. In 2007 only 17 per cent of its pupils got five A-C passes and the year before this was down at 11 per cent.

Education secretary Ed Balls' ultimatum for the school to improve has had a devastating effect on the school's reputation.

Mrs McVittie explained: "We were given about 240 names for our Year Seven nine-form entry but on our transition day, when the children come in to see the school, only 150 children turned up.

"And for parents evening, only 50 parents came. A number of parents said to us if they could get places elsewhere they would.

"But our value added is exceptionally high."

Students who were successful this year had praise for the school but said the situation was dire two years ago.

Fatma Kirney, 16, said: “At first I thought the school was rubbish, I didn’t like it at all. But then the new head came and now we have teachers who really believe in you. It does still need more work.”

Fellow pupil Julian Brown, also 16, achieved the fourth best results in his year. He added: “The school used to be bad, it was really disruptive. Some of the pupils were kicked out.

“But since the new head arrived it’s better. The staff she’s recruited, the teachers, are excellent. She doesn’t let anyone disrupt the learning.”

Woodside parent-governor, Suzanne Linton, watched her son receive the results he needed today. During his time at the school Mrs Linton has seen many heads come and go. However Mrs McVittie has turned the school around.

She said: "The quality of teaching here is much better and so is the amount of homework they’re given. The teachers have zero tolerance and help is there when behaviour is not up to standard.”

Mrs Linton has had some involvement in helping Woodside improve. She added: “We had to promise Ofsted we would do everything in our power to get results up, which we’ve done.

“For all the children in the area who have to come to this school, I think they need a good education. I think we need to continue what we are doing.”

Read our reporter's blog from behind the scenes at Woodside High today.