A VALE school has been placed in special measures after an Ofsted report claimed it was failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education.

It also criticised the head teacher, management team and board of governors at St Barnabas First and Middle Schools at Drakes Broughton.

The Ofsted report says: "The persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school."

A statement issued by the school said: "with the support of the local authority, action has already begun and there is a positive determination to come out of this situation as quickly as possible."

The Ofsted inspection was carried out over two days in January and also stated that the overall effectiveness of the school was inadequate and it provides unsatisfactory value for money.

The main problem was when the pupils moved up the school, from years three to six, where they underachieve because the 'leadership and management of the school is inadequate and has too little impact on pupils achievement'.

The report added: "Unsatisfactory teaching is characterised by lessons that proceed too slowly, usually because the pupils are expected to listen passively for extended periods."

Results at the end of year six showed that pupils had made insufficient progress in each of the last three years and the quality of teaching had declined since the last inspection.

Mrs Julie Lloyd, Chairman of the Governors at St Barnabas said: "One positive thing to have come from this situation, is that additional funding and resources are available."

The school did enjoy some good points in the report that included the attitude of pupils and it also commended their behaviour and attendance. The inspectors also acknowledged the schools high emphasis on high quality sporting activities, provision for the arts how they developed the children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.