The woman drafted in to lead Workington Academy has a background supporting troubled schools, it has been revealed.

Colette Macklin was appointed interim headteacher last week following the absence of head Jonathan Logan.

Mrs Macklin’s last headship was as principal at Waterhead Academy in Oldham, which she joined in September 2014.

The school’s fourth principal in four years, she left the post in October last year, reportedly by mutual consent.

Mrs Macklin said a key part of her work at that school was to establish stability, secure the commitment of staff, pupils and the community and build confidence.

She added that she had led the academy through significant and improving change until the trust running it had secured new leadership.

Ofsted identified improvements during her time there, she said.

Mrs Macklin qualified as a science teacher in 1996 and was head of science at Cedar Mount High School in Manchester from 2001 to 2003.

She then spent a year as assistant headteacher before becoming a deputy headteacher from September 2004 to April 2006.

From April 2006 to December 2009 Mrs Macklin was deputy headteacher at Wardle High School in Rochdale. There, she said, she was responsible for all operational and some strategic aspects of the school’s leadership, helping to secure improvement as the school worked to get out of Ofsted-imposed special measures.

In 2010 Mrs Macklin moved to The Oldham Academy North, spending eight months as principal designate before taking on the top role in the September.

There, she said, she managed the school’s transfer to becoming a sponsored academy and managed the move to a new building on a new site.

Related: Interim head brought into Cumbrian academy school

She remained in post until August 2014, before moving on to Waterhead Academy.

From December last year until May she provided school improvement and performance coaching at The Langley Academy in Slough.

The 49-year-old, who is staying at Ullock, took on her role in Workington with less than a day’s notice.

She was called at her West Yorkshire home on Wednesday afternoon asking her to be interim headteacher.

Within hours she was in Cumbria ready to start the role the next day.

The academy, run by the William Howard Multi Academy Trust, is remaining tight-lipped about Mr Logan’s absence. It is not known how long Mrs Macklin might be in post.