A WORCESTER city councillor has urged people to be fair to pupils at Elgar Technology College.

Councillor Andy Roberts said there was a common misconception the fact that the school was being put into special measures last week could be blamed on disruptive pupils, which the report had proved wrong.

The Bilford Road school was put into special measures by inspectors on Friday, March 30, only days after headteacher Tony James announced a move to County Hall to become director of 14-19 education.

Coun Roberts said: "The inspectors do not blame the pupils. The reason for putting the school into special measures is because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education.

"The inspectors found the reason for the failure is persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary changes'."

Mr Roberts said inspectors found most pupils were "willing to learn, feel safe, enjoy school and are eager to help raise its performance".

He said the Ofsted report recognised a genuine spirit of care reflected by loyalty shown by most students to the school and inspectors had not put the blame on disruptive behaviour, which he said was "as much a symptom as a cause."

Coun Roberts said: "The truth is out, the kids and their parents have been let down. Teachers, managers and governors need to improve their game and they must face up to the fact. If there is a cover-up or the blame is shifted, the school will never improve. I will continue to campaign for parents of Warndon Villages to have the freedom to send their children to their nearest school.

"But I know that a successful Elgar Technology College is vital for the city."

He said he thought the school's chairman of gov-enors Gill Hellings understood the problems, and had been one of the few to speak up on their behalf.

"She and the governors who are sticking with Elgar, even though the going is tough, must face up to the real problems," he said.

"They and the county council also need to look at why misleading information was put out during the period that the headteacher and chairman of governors had to keep their silence. They must ask the fundamental questions, why the pupils were misrepresented and staff turnover is so high."