An MP has claimed it would be “extremely difficult” for a way forward to be found for a troubled west Suffolk primary school.

An Interim Executive Board (IEB) is set to come in to manage Badwell Ash CEVA Primary School after all but one of the governors resigned.

Previously, parents had led a successful campaign against closure after the governing body had announced it was going to consult them on shutting the school.

Bury St Edmunds MP David Ruffley said the IEB would have to decide whether it could come up with a plan to turn the school’s fortunes around completely or consider closure.

He said: “There are no other alternatives so my feeling is, as a member of Parliament having spoken to all the relevant parties, it’s going to be extremely difficult.”

He said he thought it would be extremely difficult to achieve the “massive turnaround” which is needed.

He said there had been attempts in the past to bring about a federation with other schools, but this had been unsuccessful.

He added: “I’m afraid the view that standards at the school are adequate or good is not proven by the statistics over the last five years.”

But he said the underperformance was “undoubtedly” not the fault of pupils or parents.

The Venerable Dr David Jenkins, Archdeacon of Sudbury and Chairman of the Diocesan Board of Education, said: “The diocese continues to work closely with the local authority in supporting Badwell Ash Primary School as it assesses its individual future with a new Interim Executive Board in place.”

Helen Flack, who has a daughter at Badwell Ash primary and played a key part in the campaign to save the school from closure, said parents were once again very worried about its future.

She added: “I think we need to be given a second chance, a new start, not closure.

“We were so uplifted at the end of May and now we have just gone straight back down to the bottom again.”

A Suffolk County Council said the Secretary of State had now approved the creation of an IEB.