The trust in charge of a Darwen primary school in special measures says the staff are “committed to the journey of improvement.”

St James’ Primary School in St James’ Crescent, Darwen, was rated inadequate by Ofsted in February 2023 after inspectors said the academic achievement of its pupils was “poor.”

Inspectors said the curriculum was “ill-designed” and pupils were not prepared to move on to secondary school.

A monitoring visit was undertaken by Ofsted in April of this year, and following the publishing of that report last week, the school remains inadequate.

READ MORE: Springfield Primary in Earby rated requires improvement

Monitoring visits are not to grade the school’s overall effectiveness but to identify and report on the school’s progress and highlight any improvements made since the last inspection.

Peter Ashworth, chief executive of Cidari Multi Academy Trust which governs the school, said: “The school has taken effective action to tackle the significant weaknesses identified at the previous inspection.

“It has worked closely with the trust to develop a clear vision for the quality of education provided for its pupils.

“There has been a focus on securing a firm foundation on which to build further improvements.

“Despite the significant changes that the school has had to make, staff morale is high.

“They value the school’s consideration of their workload and wellbeing.

“Staff are positive about the changes which have been made. They are committed to the journey of improvement that the school has embarked upon.”

In a letter to the school, Ofsted said leaders have made progress to improve the school but more work is necessary for the school to no longer be judged as requiring special measures.

The inspector also said: “I strongly recommend that the school does not seek to appoint early-career teachers.”

They also said that since the February 2023 inspection, the senior leadership team has been restructured, a deputy headteacher has been seconded to the school, and an early years leader has been appointed.

The school is said to be “finalising the recruitment of a substantive deputy headteacher and an additional senior leader.”

Ofsted said there has also been a “number of new teaching and support staff appointments, some of which have been temporary.”

The report writer added: “The school has taken effective action to tackle the significant weaknesses identified at the previous inspection.

“It has worked closely with the trust to develop a clear vision for the quality of education provided for its pupils.

READ MORE: Belthorn Academy Primary School rated good by Ofsted

“The quality of education that pupils are receiving is improving. Staff’s expectations have been raised. Much work has been done to design a curriculum that matches the ambition of the national curriculum.

“The school has sought specialist advice and guidance to review and improve the provision for pupils with SEND. For example, the trust has commissioned a SEND audit through the local authority. This has provided clear actions for further improvement.

“Since the previous inspection, the school has identified behaviour as a further area to improve. They have taken swift action to address inconsistencies in how behaviour is managed.”

The school’s next full inspection should be sometime within the next 16 months.