SIX East Lancashire schools deemed to have "serious weaknesses" by Ofsted inspectors have been turned around, their head teachers insisted today.

Accrington's Moorhead High School, Green Haworth Church of England Primary School and St Mary Magdalen's Church of England Primary School; Burnley's St Theodore's Catholic Sports College and Ightenhill Primary School and Primet High School in Colne all fell into the serious weakness category.

Schools classed as having serious weaknesses -- the level above the failure category -- are said to provide an acceptable standard of education for their pupils but are deemed to have serious flaws in one or more areas of their work.

The six schools were named this week as part of Ofsted's first-ever regional breakdown of how schools in the North West are performing based on inspections carried out in 2003 / 4.

But the heads at all six schools insist they have made improvements and have or will come out of the serious weaknesses category this year.

They include Janet Walsh, head teacher at Primet High School which is due to officially lose its serious weaknesses tag this week.

She said she was "surprised" the school was put in the category by Ofsted despite inspectors recognising exam results had been steadily improving in a "very positive" report.

She blamed a new inspection framework Ofsted introduced in 2003, which David Bell, the chief inspector of schools, admitted at the time "sets new standards for judging the effectiveness of schools".

But critics like the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) have questioned the framework which states where teaching is deemed generally satisfactory it can still be labelled "unsatisfactory owing to the lack of aspiration in the teaching."

With only eight of Lancashire County Council's 647 schools falling into the serious weaknesses category -- one less than last year -- its cabinet member for schools, Alan Whittaker, said the findings showed the strength of education in the region.

But he added: "We do take seriously instances where serious weaknesses are identified. We send an investigation team and assign an advisor into the schools to work with head teachers and governors to formulate an action plan to try and turn these schools around."

No schools in Blackburn with Darwen have serious weaknesses but Moorland High School, Darwen, remains in special measures.

Schools subject to special measures are those inspectors deem are failing or likely to fail in providing an acceptable standard of education.

One notable absentee from the special measures list is Queen's Park Technology College, Blackburn. The school was closed by education bosses last year after returning some of the worst GCSE results in the country -- months after being placed in special measures. Its replacement, Blakewater College, opened to pupils on April 6.

Councillor Dave Hollings, executive member for education and lifelong learning said the council was working hard to reverse fortunes at Moorland and added: "The fact that we have only one school in special measures in Blackburn with Darwen is tribute to the council and school staff who work in partnership to deliver the quality of education parents expect."

l Schools taken off the serious weakness list include Newchurch St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Rawtenstall, and Heasandford Primary School, Burnley.