PUPILS at a failing school have been urged to "work closely" with their new headteacher to help revive its fortunes.

The recommendation comes from government inspectors who as we revealed have placed Blackburn's Intack Primary School in special measures for the second time.

The Whitebirk Road school now has just 12 months to produce and act upon an action plan to head off the threat of closure and remove the tag given to failing schools.

After Easter the school, which first came out of special measures in 1998, drafted in a new head Linda McLanachan who has stressed everyone at Intack would "work together" to shake-off the unwanted label.

And in the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) report published today, inspectors tell the 280-plus pupils on roll they can do their bit to get their school back on track.

After the visit in March, the inspector, Mark Williams, urges the pupils to give the same support to the new head as recently retired acting headteacher Mike Leighton.

He stressed: "We know you will want to work with her as closely as you have done with Mr Leighton. We wish you every success for the future."

The report states that behaviour and attendance have improved at the school but achievement and standards "are well below national averages.

Overall, the school has made inadequate progress since its previous inspection.

The report adds: "The school has good intentions but there have not been enough focused and followed-through actions."