FLUCTUATING staff and a 'firefighting mentality' has resulted in fresh criticism for a village school.

Wheatley CE Primary School, which was rated ‘inadequate’ in February 2017 and placed in special measures, has been told that it is not doing enough to improve.

Following a check-up visit in July, Ofsted said leaders and managers are 'not taking effective action' and branded the pace of improvement ‘too slow’.

There was praise of the new headteachers, however, and school leaders said they are confident of 'rapid improvements'.

Ofsted's report revealed that popularity of the school has dipped so much that admissions this year resulted in just one new class, rather than two as usual.

It said ‘fluctuating leadership arrangements’ had led to a ‘stop-start’ approach and ‘piecemeal’ action. The report, released this week, added: “Leaders flit from one thing to another, adopting a ‘fire-fighting mentality’.

“You are all too aware of the scale of improvement required.

“Strategic development has come to a standstill and any previous drive to instigate positive change has stalled.”

It was the third check-up report since the 315-pupil school gained Ofsted’s worst rating.

After the previous visit in February an inspector was positive about improvements, but this time Ofsted raised key concerns, including that provision for children with special needs and disabilities was ‘woeful’.

The inspector added that safeguarding was ‘ineffective’ and record-keeping ‘disjointed and incomplete’.

She wrote: “There is a worrying time lag between designated safeguarding leads receiving the concern and subsequent action.”

She added that the attitude to pupils’ safety was ‘not vigilant enough’ and she noticed ‘cleaning fluids were left around the school’ in reach of children.

Ofsted highlighted how several senior leaders were absent during the inspection, which took place at the end of term in July, including the special educational needs coordinator and the headteacher.

The report said: “Rate of improvement in teaching and learning has been significantly slowed by the absence of key leaders.

“Some teachers have expressed frustration at leaders’ lack of emphasis on improving teaching and learning.”

In teaching for the younger years, the inspector said standards were ‘declining’ and added: “Staff’s absence and the high frequency of temporary staffing arrangements have adversely affected children’s progress.”

Particularly in older years, Ofsted said there were some ‘pockets of unrest’ among pupils.

The report added: “Although pupils generally have a go at completing tasks, they lack enthusiasm and do not make the progress they are capable of.

“Teachers are still struggling in some instances to make sure that poor behaviour does not escalate.”

The inspector noted how some Year 6 pupils were ‘disappointed with the behaviour of their peers’, such as not saying thank you when opening a door for them.

Despite the criticism, Ofsted highlighted areas of improvement including improved results in Year 2 and Year 6 and a tightening of attendance rules.

The inspector also hailed the new co-headteachers, who took up post this month, as a ‘breath of fresh air’.

She added: “You have already, eagerly, got to grips with the role and fully understand the extent of improvement needed.

“You know that urgency is required and are beginning to work more intelligently and with greater resolve than has been the case in the past.

“Governors are providing much-needed continuity and remain a steadying influence.

"They exude a very strong commitment to supporting the school to improve.”

The academy is run by Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, which the report criticised for ‘not sparking improvement securely enough, nor with the required urgency’.

But the trust has stressed that the school is improving daily and the new headteachers had already had a positive impact.

Anne Davey, chief executive of ODST, added: “It is of course frustrating that much impact was not yet evident when the inspection took place.

"Plans to address the areas of concern highlighted in the report are underway and with the continued support of staff, governors and parents I am confident that we can bring about rapid improvement at Wheatley."