A SCHOOL in Worcester that was deemed to be failing is making good progress since its last inspection.

Government inspectors said standards were improving at Gorse Hill Primary School and pupils' progress was accelerating.

The school, in Holly Mount Road, Tolladine, was placed in special measures by Ofsted in March 2006 after inspectors said it was failing to give pupils an adequate education.

Since then it has had five monitoring inspections, the latest of which took place earlier this month, showing the school has made many improvements.

The inspectors said: "Rates of progress are accelerating and almost two thirds of the pupils are currently making satisfactory progress.

"Since the previous inspection, the proportion of pupils making good progress in reading has increased from 27 per cent to 51 per cent, in writing from 29 per cent to 46 per cent, and in mathematics from 31 per cent to 47 per cent."

Headteacher Vivienne Cranton said she was delighted with the latest report.

"We are extremely pleased," she said. "Everyone has worked incredibly hard. We are delighted the inspectors recognised we are doing so well and we hope to come out of special measures soon."

The inspectors said the quality of teaching and learning at the school had improved, with 40 per cent of the lessons seen during the inspection deemed to be good.

"Lessons are better planned, with most teachers using assessment to provide a range of work to suit the pupils' different learning needs, which helps them make better progress."

However, the inspectors said the school still had some way to go with the gap between what the pupils should be achieving for their age and what they are currently achieving still being too wide.

They said: "Only half the pupils are working at the level they should be at for their age and almost a third of the pupils are making unsatisfactory progress."

"Year six remain very low, with only 42 per cent at the level expected for their age.

"Nevertheless, there is cause for optimism and an important corner has been turned.

"The school has been successful in halting the decline in the pupils' progress and the standards they are reaching and the trend in achievement is now firmly upward."