A PRIMARY school has been judged to be inadequate fewer than three years after inspectors described it as outstanding.

Ryecroft Primary Academy in Holme Wood, the first primary school in Bradford to become an academy, has been put in special measures by Ofsted.

Ofsted's report accuses the school's leaders, governors and the Northern Education Trust which runs it of “failing to halt the significant decline in the school’s effectiveness”.

The trust’s head, however, says the school, which has more than 330 pupils, is on a “steady climb back towards becoming an outstanding school”.

Last month Ofsted told two other schools in Holme Wood, Carrwood Primary and Knowleswood Primary, they required improvement.

Ryecroft was judged outstanding after it converted to an academy, and the Government flagged it up as an example of how academisation can improve standards.

But in the latest report, inspectors say it needs external reviews of governance and how it uses pupil premium funding.

The report says: “Checks on the suitability of staff to work in the school were incomplete at the start of the inspection.

"While this was remedied during the inspection, oversight of these crucially important checks by leaders and governors is weak. Their actions have placed pupils at an unacceptable level of risk.”

Ian Kershaw, chief executive of the Northern Education Trust, said principal Lesley Colthart, who took up her post in January 2016, is making progress in stabilising the school.

He said: “We acknowledge there is still much to be done and the trust is committed to providing continuing support to Lesley as she implements her academy improvement plan to bring about the rapid improvements needed in teaching, learning and assessment so that a solid basis for further progress is achieved.

“We should like to reassure all parents and carers that we have the welfare and education of their children very much at heart and will be redoubling our efforts to ensure they benefit from a high quality education and a happy, productive school life.”

Councillor Alan Wainwright (Lab, Tong), raised concerns that the three primary schools in Holme Wood were now either classed as inadequate or requiring improvement.

He said: “It is very worrying for local councillors and I’m sure it is worrying for parents.”

Councillor Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s executive member of education, said: “We want all Bradford pupils to attend a school that is good or better.

“We challenge and support Council-maintained schools where necessary to secure improvements and although the Department for Education, through the Regional Schools Commissioner, have responsibility for raising standards in academies we also work with the commissioner to try to ensure academies in our district are well supported.

“We are confident that significant progress is already being made at Knowleswood Primary and we will continue to work with the school to help it improve further.

“We are also working closely with Carrwood Primary to ensure it can make rapid progress in the areas identified in the recent Ofsted inspection."

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