Wolverhampton school with 'dull and weak teachers' slips into special measures

Inspectors said staff at Kingston Centre Primary PRU lacked the knowledge required to teach and assess basic maths and literacy.

They also said marking was not good enough, tests and tasks were too simple, there was a high level of absence and that teaching assistants took 'little part' in lessons and just sat listening to the teachers.

The Whitmore Reans site deals with some of the most challenging youngsters in Wolverhampton. Ofsted said the level of disruptive behaviour was 'unacceptably high' and staff lacked the skills to deal with difficult pupils.

Wolverhampton City Council was said to have failed to provide adequate support to the school, although bosses say they have already taken 'decisive action' to address its problems.

The report relates to an inspection that took place in February.

Books were locked away in cupboards and not available to pupils, while teaching was described as 'dull and weak'.

Lead inspector Pauline Hilling-Smith said the school was inadequate in the key areas of leadership and management, the behaviour and safety of pupils, achievement and the quality of teaching.

Teachers were said to have low expectations of students and set tasks that were too easy. Marking was described as 'not good enough', while pupils' 'spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding' was underdeveloped.

Kingston was also criticised by inspectors for allowing a 'high level' of exclusion and absence. The school's work to keep pupils safe and secure was also branded inadequate, although the report said that all staff have now been trained in physical restraint procedures.

The school caters for 32 pupils aged four to 11, the majority of whom are permanently excluded from mainstream school or are at risk of exclusion due to social or emotional difficulties.

Interim headteacher Frances Pass, who was appointed in January, had started to lead improvements, said the lead inspector, although a new management committee was said to not hold leadership staff to account over the centre's performance.

Dr Jim McElligott, Wolverhampton's director of education, said: "Before the inspection was completed, we had established a new, stronger management board chaired by Councillor Ian Angus, and appointed an interim headteacher with a strong background of improving pupil referral units to Kingston PRU, both of which are already driving through real improvements.

"We have also established a council-led School Improvement Board which will challenge and support the PRU's leadership and governance.

"Furthermore, representatives from one of our Outstanding-rated primary schools will be working to help and strengthen leadership and the quality of teaching at Kingston PRU.

"We are confident the changes we have put in place will swiftly improve standards."