A former Basildon headteacher has returned to Essex after suddenly leaving his job at a school on the Isle of Wight.

Dr Rory Fox, the former principal of Basildon Academies, was drafted in to lead improvements at failing school Ryde Academy in 2013.

But he left the school without notice last week amid suggestions of ongoing disagreements with teaching unions.

Hockley-based Academies Enterprise Trust, which sponsors the Isle of Wight school, confirmed Dr Fox would be starting a new role at its headquarters in Station Approach.

Writing to parents, trust chief executive Ian Comfort confirmed Dr Fox had left with immediate effect, saying: “We are currently advertising for the position of principal and hope to make an appointment next month.

“Dr Rory Fox has returned to our central services team in Essex in order to work on other projects.”

Dr Fox hit the headlines last year for imposing strict uniform policies at the school, sending 40 girls home in a single day because their skirts were too short.

In a leaked letter to the National Union of Teachers, he criticised poorly performing teachers and accused some staff members of turning up late for classes and bullying junior colleagues.

He had previously joined Basildon Academies as principal in 2011 and was tasked with leading the school out of special measures.

Despite showing signs of improvement and strong exam results, he announced his resignation in November 2012 after disagreements with governors about the introduction of a new maths and English curriculum.

Academies Enterprise Trust was founded in 2008 after it was commissioned by the Department for Education to open three secondary academies.

It has since expanded rapidly and now operates 77 schools nationwide.

Essex schools include Westerings Primary Academy in Hockley; Pioneer School, Basildon, and Ashingdon Primary Academy in Ashingdon.