A FAILING primary school is still making ‘inadequate progress’ according to Government inspectors.
Hawthorn Primary School in Cantley was placed in special measures by Ofsted last January but a recent visit by inspector Bernard Campbell found the school was still struggling.
Inadequate progress has been made in the three key areas which were identified for improvement last year.
They included raising achievement, improving behaviour and safety and improving leadership and management.
Mr Campbell’s report followed a two-day inspection last month.
He concluded pupils’ achievement - including those with disabilities or special educational needs - needed to be improved and labelled progress as ‘inadequate’.
He said the quality of teaching remained ‘inconsistent’ and also required improvement.
The report says teachers do not have a precise enough understanding of pupils’ progress or the gaps in their learning.
Mr Campbell said attendance had improved and a new system of rewards for good behaviour and penalties for bad behaviour had a positive impact.
Improving behaviour and safety was judged to be ‘satisfactory’.
The head teacher has been on leave of absence since July 2012 and an executive head appointed last April left in October.
Temporary executive head Sharon Faulkner was appointed in November.
However, the quality and leadership of the school improved with the arrival of the new executive headteacher and the school was now in a stronger position to make progress, Mr Campbell said.
Improvement in leadership and management was still inadequate.
Mr Campbell said the school could not appoint newly qualified teachers for the foreseeable future.
Doncaster Council’s Director of the Children and Young People’s Service, Chris Pratt, said: “We fully accept Ofsted’s findings and are working with Hawthorn Primary to ensure all of the issues highlighted are fully addressed.”
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