A PRIMARY school on the outskirts of Wyre Forest has been placed in special measures after being rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted inspectors.

Upper Arley Church of England School received the lowest Ofsted rating following an inspection at the end of March, when inspectors found teachers to have a "weak subject knowledge", resulting in pupils making "poor progress".

An inspection report, published last week, outlined how "poor leadership has led to poor outcomes for pupils", and described senior leadership and the governing body as "inadequate".

Staffing was described as "unstable", with too much dependence on temporary teachers, and the curriculum was found to be "poorly planned", with pupils making insufficient progress in a range of subjects.

For two out of the past three years, almost all year six pupils underachieved in maths, the report said.

The report went on to say, however, that the acting headteacher Tracie Langfield had started to address inadequacies in the curriculum, and pupils' behaviour was "good".

Teaching in music, science and art was found to be effective and children were making "good progress" in the reception class due to good teaching.

A spokesperson for Upper Arley Primary School said: “Following the full Ofsted inspection in March, we are extremely disappointed to receive the report which states that the school requires special measures.

"We would like to assure everyone in the school and wider community that school leaders, governors and staff are totally committed to ensuring that the concerns raised in the report are addressed as a matter of urgency.

"We will be working very closely with the local authority, the Diocese of Worcester, school governors and the parent body to rapidly improve the school whilst maintaining its unique, family-focused identity.

"We are pleased that the report acknowledges the school’s important strengths – the safety, behaviour and welfare of its pupils and the strong teaching and outcomes in key areas of the school. This will be a platform we will build upon.

"A comprehensive action plan to ensure improved educational experiences and outcomes for pupils will be urgently formulated and we look forward to being able to share our progress in the very near future.”

Newly appointed acting headteacher, Tracie Langfield, added: "[I have] already begun to work on leading the school on its journey towards a positive future.

"The report provides a strong direction for the school improvement work that is required and there is a commitment from everyone involved with the school and the wider community to ensure that Upper Arley is a good school in which children learn and flourish.“