Female headteacher, 54, whose school was the most improved in the country appears in court accused of abusing young boy repeatedly in the 1980s

High-flying: Anne Lakey arriving at Durham Crown Court today. She has strongly denied the claims

A high-flying female headteacher has returned to court over claims she abused a young boy more than 20 years ago.
Anne Lakey oversaw the steepest improvement in GCSE results at any school in the country when she was chief executive of the Durham Federation of Schools.
The federation, which runs two secondary schools in County Durham, previously suspended the 54-year-old while an investigation was carried out.
Today Lakey appeared for the first time before a crown court where a date was set for her trial.
She faces eight charges of abusing the same boy under the age of 16 during a 12-month period in the late 1980s.
During a previous hearing before magistrates earlier this month, she pleaded not guilty to all eight charges.
Her barrister told the court: 'She strongly denies these allegations.'
Lakey is accused of two counts of inciting a boy under 16 to commit an act of gross indecency, two counts of gross indecency on a boy under 16 and four counts of indecent assault on a boy under 16.
During today's short hearing Lakey, dressed in a navy dress and jacket, spoke only to confirm her name.
A trial will take place at Durham Crown Court on June 23 and is due to last four days.
Lakey, from Stanley, County Durham, was given unconditional bail until her next plea and case management hearing on April 17, 2014.
The federation where she was chief runs Durham Community Business College in Ushaw Moor and Fyndoune Community College in Sacriston.

Accused: Anne Lakey, who oversaw the biggest improvement in GCSE results in the country

Success: Good grades at Fyndoune College, pictured, went from 28 per cent to 80 per cent in four years

The federation where Lakey was chief executive also ran Durham Community Business College, pictured

Fyndoune serves 350 pupils from 13 former mining villages and last year was named the country's most improved secondary school.
Just 26 per cent of pupils achieved five A* to C grades including English and Maths at GCSE in 2008, but by 2012 the figure had soared to 80 per cent.
At the time the school credited a strict focus on teaching standards and staff training.
Principal Trevor Dunn said at the time: ‘We worked very hard across the two schools to have a curriculum that was engaging and exciting. It was clear students have to want to come to school and
want to work.
‘We have a construction centre so we can do construction courses and we have a farm so we can do courses in animal care and horse care.’
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