A PENHILL primary school will be put in special measures after receiving the lowest possible rating from Ofsted.

Seven Fields Primary School received a scathing report from the education watchdog, which said it is inadequate in four of the five key areas and requires improvement in the other.

The report said the quality of teaching received by the school’s 376 pupils is “variable”, and that it “is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and those responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school”.

The progress of pupils in reading and maths fell from well above average in 2016 to well below it two years later.

And inspectors said “teachers do not have adequate subject knowledge, effective behaviour management techniques or high expectations”.

The report added that “too few pupils make the progress of which they are capable”.

High levels of bad behaviour were cited as a big concern.

“School records show that there have been a lot of bullying incidents,” inspectors said.

“The culture of the school has not, over time, instilled sufficiently high aspirations, mutual respect and self-esteem in pupils.”

Attendance is lower than the national average for all groups of pupils, with half of those persistently absent classed as 'disadvantaged'.

It follows a turbulent year for the school in Leigh Road.

In March 2018, long-serving headteacher Zita McCormick and the whole board of trustees resigned.

Former deputies David Cole and Gill Jones shared the top job for an interim period and, just 15 days before the inspection took place in May, new head Damien Booth took the reins.

The report criticised the school’s middle leadership team over the past few months, saying “they were not sufficiently held to account for the quality of teaching and the progress of pupils”.

It added: “Additional funding is not used effectively to raise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.”

Seven Fields will now join a multi-academy trust as part of efforts make he improvements demanded by Ofsted, which rated it good at its previous inspection in March 2014.

Mr Booth held an evening with parents to discuss the Ofsted findings on Wednesday evening. The Adver’s request to attend was turned down.

He said: “We are all extremely disappointed at the outcome of our most recent Ofsted inspection, and completely understand the inevitable concerns parents will have.”

The headteacher says he has introduced a new behaviour management policy since being appointed, concentrating on positive behaviour.

“Our new policy is focusing on what pupils should be doing and we have really started to see a big difference,” said Mr Booth.

There were some areas where the school came out more positively.

Sport premium funding is used effectively and the school was praised for fostering positive relationships with parents and carers, staff and stakeholders.

Inspectors recognised the new headteacher’s efforts to galvanise and re-energise staff.

Mr Booth said: “We have had the lowest rating from Ofsted but I have experience of working in schools in special measures, I have been an Ofsted inspector and I am confident we will turn the school around.

“I’m very positive about the situation because we have a line that has been drawn and we need to make sure we continue to grow, engage with the local community, and increase our expectation of what pupils are capable of.”