A PRIMARY school headteacher has pledged to improve her school “as soon as possible” after it slipped from ‘good’ to ‘inadequate’ in its latest inspection.

Drybrook Primary, which is attended by 130 pupils, has been put into ‘special measures’ after schools watchdog Ofsted said it was “failing to provide pupils with an acceptable standard of education.”

Headteacher Sara Albon, who took over in 2007, said the school would do everything to regain its former good rating.

“Naturally, we are disappointed with the report’s findings,” she said. “With the support of governors, staff, the county council and our parents, we will work hard to make the changes identified in Ofsted’s report as soon as possible.

“Everyone at the school is absolutely committed to providing the best possible education for our pupils.”

The school is currently awaiting a decision on a £795,000 scheme for three new classrooms to replace existing old temporary buildings.

The Ofsted report, based on an inspection in April, says: “Leaders have failed to take the necessary steps to rapidly improve teaching, particularly at Key Stage Two.”

Improvement plans are “imprecise” and the monitoring of teaching quality “vague,” it adds.

Assessment of teachers is “inaccurate” and teaching objectives “unclear”, while the curriculum is “poorly planned.”

“Consequently, pupils do not develop deep knoweledge and understanding, including secure reading, writing and mathematics skills,” it says.

The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare also requires improvement, alongside the behaviour of pupils.

Last year, the school was ranked in the bottom 10 per cent of schools for progress in reading and maths.

However, the report praised recent improvements to early years teaching, which had led to more pupils achieving the standards expected of them at the end of both key stages.

Staff were also commended for forming positive relationships with pupils, providing pastoral support for those who need extra help.

Gloucestershire County Council’s education department said it would be setting out a plan to improve standards and get the school back to its previous and “long standing rating of good.”

Jane Lloyd-Davies, GCC’s head of education performance and intervention, said: “We are working closely with the headteacher, staff and board of governors to make sure there is a clear plan in place, so that the quality of teaching can improve rapidly and, most importantly, the rate of pupil progress increases as soon as possible.”

School governor Matt Bishop added: “By working with staff and the continued support of our parents, we are sure that we will be able to follow Ofsted’s recommendations and rapidly improve the standards of the school.”

See the full report on the Ofsted website at reports.beta.ofsted.gov.uk