Dunmore Junior School in Abingdon has taken on its 11th headteacher in four years.

It was once one of the top performers in the county, but earlier this year was put on special measures.

A school must have stability, as well as strong leadership, before it can start to address what has gone wrong elsewhere.

Clearly, Dunmore has special problems and has had more than its fair share of bad luck.

But its plight is unquestionably a symptom of the recruitment crisis facing our county and the nation, however hard the county council and the Government may scream, "Crisis, what crisis?"

The most recent figures available showed seven schools were seeking headteachers and 12 had acting heads.

The picture will vary from county to county, but the experience here does not appear to be too far removed from that faced by education authorities elsewhere.

The job of a headteacher is certainly more demanding - and often more stressful - than it was in the past.

Heads at one time would have had time for teaching, as well as running the school.

But no longer. The Government and local authorities impose so many rules, regulations, targets and the rest these days that being in charge of a school is more than a full-time occupation.

Many heads will tell you that they face a constant uphill battle, amid all the demands placed on them.

No wonder that becoming a head is no longer the ambition of many teachers, whatever the salary.

The county council and school governors need to take urgent action to get Dunmore back on track.

Meanwhile, the Government must acknowledge that there is a wider problem with recruiting heads.

It doesn't help schools by continually putting more and more demands on them.

They need a breather from continual Whitehall interference.

Ultimately, it is the pupils who suffer.