PUPILS at a special school earmarked for change in a major education review have received the thumbs-up from government inspectors, despite being taught for less than the recommended time each week.

But the governing body and senior management team at Blackburn's Blackamoor School have come in for criticism in the school's latest Ofsted report as Blackburn with Darwen Council plans to merge it with another special school, Dame Evelyn Fox School. Inspectors who visited the Roman Road school in February found it had made unsatisfactory progress with key issues raised by a similar team almost five years ago in September 1994.

They found the amount of time spent teaching the 72 pupils at the school had increased but was still below national guidelines and although the school fulfils the requirements of the National Curriculum it does not provide religious education each week at key stage four.

On the progress of the governing body, the inspectors found they were more involved in the running of the school and had taken up training opportunities but that weaknesses remained.

The report reads: "Until the governing body becomes more effective and senior management pursues matters more vigorously the capacity of the school to improve remains unsatisfactory." Pupils at the school, which caters for physically handicapped children aged between four and 16-years-old, are praised for their attitudes and behaviour and make satisfactory progress in most subjects and good or very good progress in some. The report also notes the school's progress in promoting pupils' wellbeing as well as links with parents and the community as a whole.

Inspectors, who spent time there in February, highlighted the quality of teaching as a positive factor and found it to be good throughout and often very good.

It found pupils to make best progress in English, science, information technology, French and personal, social and health education, although not enough progress in maths.

But the report states that strategic planning has not improved since the last inspection at the school and systems for curriculum development and assessment, financial planning and management roles for planning and monitoring are criticised for being weak.

Headteacher Mrs Anita Abram said: "I am very pleased with the assessment. Obviously there is still a great deal of work to do and we are not complacent but the report is positive and states any weaknesses are far outweighed by what we do well."

She added: "Our achievements are a tribute to the hard work of the staff with support from the local education authority, governors, parents and pupils."

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