LIVERPOOL headteacher Yvonne Sharples won a standing ovation from the Labour party conference, after delivering an emotional attack on Education Secretary Michael Gove.

Yvonne Sharples said, despite significant improvements in exam results, her school – once labelled the worst in England – faced falling short of a threshold set by Mr Gove and could be forced to close.

Schools which fail to reach the target have been warned they will be tagged as “underperforming” and face closure or a takeover.

Mrs Sharples, head of Parklands High School, in Speke, said the school had just 1% of pupils gaining five good GCSEs in 2007 and was branded the “worst school in the country”.

Parklands High was put in special measures but 15% of pupils gained five GCSEs at grades A*-C in 2008, rising to 29% this year. But Mrs Sharples said this was still below the “floor target” of 35% and “in Mr Gove’s eyes we are a failing school – shame on you, Michael, how dare you”.

Mrs Sharples said the pupils at her school believed it was “the best school in the world”, but added: “I can’t protect them from Mr Gove’s harsh reality forever.

“We are due another Ofsted inspection and the game will be up. This new inspection framework has no place for schools below floor target.

“What do I tell my teachers, what do I tell my children and my community? That I lied? That their unbelievable progress is worthless?

“How dare you steal the hopes and dreams of a generation of young people. Michael Gove, you are a dream stealer.”