SCHOOL inspectors have placed one of the Forest's most respected schools in "special measures" after the quality of some teaching was found to be weak.

The move by the school standards body Ofsted has surprised some parents whose children attend Wyedean School and Sixth Form Centre at Sedbury.

The Ofsted report found the quality of teaching, achievement of pupils and leadership were all "inadequate" and that behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement.

However it also found students behave well in lessons and around the school, feel very safe and bullying is rare.

The inspection team also said leaders, staff and governors had high ambitions for the 1,100-pupil school and students and were determined to make improvements.

Headteacher Mr Clive Pemberton and senior managers were due to discuss the report with parents at a special meeting last night (Tuesday).

Inspectors said too many pupils do not make enough progress, especially in English and previously high-achieving students do not do as well as they should.

Teaching is not strong enough across the school to ensure pupils make up lost ground with teachers often expecting too little.

The school was also criticised for not making the best use of information to identify students who are falling behind.

One parent with a child at Wyedean told the Review: "I had no idea the school was a candidate for special measures.

"The staff seems to take a lot of interest in the pupils and I've had no worries about my child's education.

"If the inspection report is correct I hope the school will take action quickly to rectify the situation."

The decision to put Wyedean into special measures was based largely on exam results which the school admits have not been good enough over the last two years.

In a letter to parents, Mr Pemberton said: "As a result Ofsted judged that the achievement of our students was inadequate and, because of this, all the other judgements were similarly harsh.

"...the inspectors saw a large majority of lessons that were good or outstanding and student behaviour which was good both in lessons and around the school.

"The special measures decision was based on examination outcomes and though the inspectors recognised that we had already put in a number of measures which should secure continued improvements and even said that Wyedean 'didn't feel like a special measures school' they felt their hands were tied by the data.

Mr Pemberton told the Review the extra scrutiny the school will now face from Ofsted "makes this a good time to be a student at Wyedean."

He added: "While we accept the report we also want parents to know that this is still the same school, with the same values, that led them to choose Wyedean."