A HALESOWEN primary school that has undergone a series of staff losses and calls for the headteacher to step down has been ordered to improve by education inspectors.

St Margaret’s C of E Primary in Hasbury has been rated as 'requires improvement' by Ofsted, a fall from its previous 'good' rating at its last inspection in 2015.

The Hagley Road school has faced a series of crises this year, with the school losing many of its teaching staff.

The News reported in January how parents of children at St Margaret’s C of E Primary had launched petitions demanding the removal of the school’s headteacher and chief governors.

Bullying, safeguarding concerns, staff departures and the ‘decimation’ of the school library were among the reasons given for the launch of the petition.

In July an interim education board (IEB) was brought in by Dudley Council to replace the previous governing body.

The report, which was published on October 9, detailed findings from an inspection carried out on September 17 and 18.

Education watchdogs have told the school to improve in each of its areas of assessment, including quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; leadership and management and early years education.

Subject planning, the teaching of early years reading, pupils’ understanding of different cultures and behaviour management were areas the education watchdog said the school must improve.

Inspectors said staffing changes had made an ‘unsettling’ effect on the school but leaders now have plans to bring about necessary improvements.

The report acknowledged that improvements were already being made with new resources for writing and maths teaching and curriculum improvements in early years education.

Pupils were also said to be keen to learn and staff were praised as 'friendly and caring.'

Responding to the report, Sara Shepherd, headteacher of St Margaret's, said: “We welcome this report which recognises many of our strengths and has confirmed to us where we need to focus our energies for the coming year.

"We know that our children enjoy school and are keen to learn and that the adults around them are friendly and caring. We have great ambitions for the school and Ofsted noted and praised the changes we have already made, improving our curriculum and investing in staff training and additional resources. We have a robust, strategic staff team in place, supported by an experienced and knowledgeable interim executive board.

“We will continue to build on the strong foundations we have laid, and believe that this will be a year of growth and strength for our school family.”