School ordered to improve by inspectors

By Juliette Maxam

A PRIMARY school has been placed on special measures after government inspectors found standards well below average and teaching and leadership unsatisfactory.

Templars Infant and Nursery School, in Witham, has been told to make a string of improvements after Ofsted inspectors who visited in October found a range of faults.

They said the school's main weaknesses were pupils' inadequate progress and unsatisfactory achievement; standards of work in most subjects were well below average; provision of religious education did not comply with statutory requirements; teaching was unsatisfactory for Years 1 and 2; and school leadership and management were unsatisfactory.

Headteacher Martyn Long said: "This is very disappointing for everyone concerned with the school. Everyone works very hard. The parents are very supportive. We have worked hard and had steadily rising standards and two achievement awards in the last three years."

He said since the school inspection a new set of Government-produced performance results showed standards were already rising.

Inspectors did praise some aspects of the school, saying: "The school is supportive of both its pupils and staff. Staff know their pupils well and relationships between adults and children are positive."

Its main strengths were listed as: provision for children in the nursery and reception class is good; pupils are well cared for; the school promotes good relationships, including racial harmony; links with the community are good and teaching is good in the nursery and reception class.

The school is drawing up a detailed plan of action, to be completed by March 3, with a timetable for when improvements will be made.

It will be monitored over the next two years and reinspected by Ofsted. If the school achieves the targets set in its plan it is taken out of special measures, if it does not make acceptable progress it could be closed down.