A school has been praised by education watchdog Ofsted for its “rapid” progress five months after being placed in special measures.

Bradford Moor Community Primary was rated as a school that was failing its pupils following the inspection by the schools’ watchdog.

The damning report condemned governors at the school and led to the governing body being replaced.

But now, in the first inspection since it was placed in special measures, the school has won praise for taking action to tackle its weaknesses.

Ofsted inspector Katrina Gueli said in her report: “Progress has been rapid since the inspection, particularly in improving teaching quality, in part, because the head teacher and local authority were already acutely aware of the school’s main weaknesses and were taking decisive action to address them.”

The report also states that new appointments at senior leadership level “have increased the school’s capacity to tackle the areas for improvement and importantly strengthened the quality of the teaching within the school”.

It says effective work by the school’s leaders, Bradford Council and Nick Weller, who is National Leader for Education at the school, “has enabled a brisk start to be made in tackling the areas for improvement identified during the section five inspection”.

The report also states a proposal for the school to become a sponsored academy is being considered.

Head teacher Janet Relton said: “We are really pleased with this first inspection report as we feel it reflects where we are as a school. It also confirms the actions we and the local authority have taken to bring about further improvements.

“It provides us with a springboard to a more positive future which will help us to continue to raise standards and improve the life chances of the children.”

The report also praises the Council’s decision to apply for an Interim Executive Board to replace the governing body. It is now in place.

Councillor Ralph Berry, executive member for children and young people, said: “It is unusual for a school in special measures to receive such a positive report from HMI on it’s first monitoring visit.

“This shows how much work has taken place within the school, supported by the Council, to bring about rapid improvements. There is still a long way to go, but everyone involved deserves to be congratulated for bringing about such rapid progress.”

The report which condemned the governors praised Mrs Relton for her efforts to improve the school.