Special measures for Bilston primary school

A primary school and a centre for excluded pupils in Wolverhampton are set to go into special measures after being rated inadequate by education inspectors, it was revealed today.

Field View Primary School in Bilston has received the lowest possible rating by the Office for Standards in Education.

The Midpoint Centre pupil referral unit in Whitmore Reans was also told it had failed to make progress despite a warning three years ago.

Inspectors today said the schools needed to be in special measures.

It means they will now get regular inspections and if improvements are not made, senior staff could be forced out or the schools could even be closed.

Field View in Lonsdale Road on Bilston's Lunt estate has 320 pupils.

Inspector Stephen Walker said the appointment of Lynne Law as executive head teacher last October had improved how children were supported. Mrs Law is also head teacher of nearby St Martin's Primary School.

Mr Walker added: "The quality of teaching in the school is inadequate. A number of classes are also temporarily covered by supply teachers which results in variation in provision for the pupils.

"The leadership and management of the school are insecure and rely too heavily on the temporary arrangements of the executive head teacher and the deputy head teacher." The referral centre in Cromer Gardens, Whitmore Reans, has 61 pupils aged 14 to 16 who have been excluded from school.

Reporting inspector Alan Lemon said: "This school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement. Insufficient progress has been made on improving the school's work identified as issues for improvement in the last inspection."

Mr Lemon said poor attendance and weak assessment had added to the school's problems. But he added that the school's curriculum suited the pupils who wanted to learn crafts and skills.

Mr Lemon said the school's leaders were not setting high enough expectations and that its management committee was weak.

"Inspectors agree that students' behaviour is managed appropriately by the school", Mr Lemon said. "However, inspection evidence shows that teaching and leadership and management are inadequate.

"Parents were most concerned about whether or not the school meets their children's particular needs."

In other reports Smestow School in Castlecroft was rated satisfactory when inspectors came in to specifically look at religious education.

Low Hill Nursery, Green Park Special School and Spring Vale Primary were all rated good. Palmers Cross and The Giffard Primary schools were deemed satisfactory.