Four more top jobs at Oxford's first academy school will go to people who have never worked at the school it will replace.

Teachers at Peers School have been overlooked in favour of external candidates for four vice-principal roles at The Oxford Academy, the school's chairman of governors revealed last night.

It means the top five roles at the academy - including that of principal - will be filled by people who have no experience of the pupils they will be in charge of from September 1.

Academy chiefs including a representative from its major sponsor, the Diocese of Oxford, and new principal Mike Reading decided to bring in fresh blood despite applications from existing members of staff who helped the school move out of special measures in January last year.

Neither of Peers' deputy heads, Jeanette Mackie and Alison Robb-Webb, were offered any of the roles, although one of them pulled out before the interview stage, said Andrew Parsons, chairman of Peers' board of governors.

One other internal applicant withdrew and another was interviewed, but not offered a job, he added. Mr Parsons said: "This is a very clear marker to the students that things are going to change."

In July, Peers headteacher Lorna Caldicott was overlooked for the role of principal, despite her wide popularity with parents and governors. She subsequently took a principal's role at an academy in Lincolnshire.

Parents expressed a mixed reaction to the appointments.

Jane Lacey, whose 14-year-old daughter attends the Sandy Lane West school, said: "I am a bit shocked but I am not surprised, because if they did not keep Lorna after the job she was doing, then nobody was safe."

Sonia Denmark, from Falcon Close, Blackbird Leys, who has a 15-year-old daughter at the school, said: "The people already there should have got the jobs because they know the school and what the children are like."

But Suzi MacFarlane, from Gaisford Road in Cowley, said: "It needs a good shake-up and it needs good management to make it consistent for the children."

A spokesman for the academy said the four new people had a combination of talents, ranging from knowledge of the area to bringing success from previous experience.

She said: "The new team will use the very best knowledge that many of the existing staff at Peers have through their employment in the area.

"This will allow the Academy to build on the progress already made by Peers staff, all of whom have helped to bring the school out of special measures."