A JUNIOR school has turned its failings into successes and Government inspectors have removed its special measures status.

Audley Junior School in Audley, Blackburn, was placed on special measures last year because it was failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education.

But Ofsted inspectors visited in April and found that many weaknesses had been turned into strengths by staff, pupils, parents and Lancashire Education Authority.

Head teacher David Whalley, who took over at the school in January, said: "Obviously we are very pleased to have been taken off special measures, but it has taken a lot of hard work by the staff, pupils and parents. We are pleased that the standards have risen because that is what we are all about.

"We were happy that the pupils, parental involvement and the support of the community have been highlighted in the report, but now we have to continue raising standards and work towards the next inspection." The inspectors found that standards had risen dramatically since March 1999 and results in English were good, but mathematics and science results were below the national average.

The report states: "The overall quality of teaching is sound with just under half of the lessons being good. The response of the pupils is good. They want to learn and apply themselves well to the tasks they are set."

Mr Whalley was praised for his "strong and energetic" leadership and staff were found to plan curriculum well.

The governors now had a pro-active role in the day-to-day running of the school and monitored the school's strengths and weaknesses.

The Queen's Park Road school still had key issues to address, including continuing to raise the standard of pupils' oral and writing skills, improving the quality of teaching, developing strategies for evaluating pupils' progress and attendance and extending the involvement of parents, governors and friends in the local community.

Audley Junior suffered a series of problems throughout 1998 and 1999, including the resignation of four governors, the long-term sickness of former head teacher David Braithwaite and teaching standards and low attainment of pupils being criticised by Ofsted inspectors, before it was placed on special measures.

Picture: Head teacher David Whalley with some of his Audley Junior pupils. "Now we have to continue raising standards," he says