A JERSEY-educated head teacher has been credited with transforming the fortunes of a primary school in one of the UK’s most deprived inner city areas.

As well as being praised for ‘brilliant leadership’ in a recent Ofsted report, Beeches Old Boy Seán O’Regan’s work at Edith Neville primary school in the London borough of Camden has been acclaimed in a hard-hitting book published this summer.

The school’s transformation from bottom of the league to national leader is told in educational journalist Wendy Wallace’s ‘Oranges and Lemons’.

The author spent one day a week at the school for more than a year to produce an honest and touching behind-the-scenes account of the challenges faced by pupils and teachers.

Mr O’Regan said: ‘This book shows that if we get it right, children can achieve very highly and we can help to enrich their lives.’ Mr O’Regan was born in Ireland but lived in Jersey from the age of two.

His parents are Donal and Pat O’Regan.

Mrs O’Regan was once the head of St Mary’s School.

Sean was educated at St Mary’s School and De La Salle College and Oxford University and the University of London.

He began his teaching career at St Mark’s School.