AN OXFORD school is failing to educate pupils to expected standards because of problems including poor teaching, high truancy levels and unruly behaviour among children.

Government inspectors have placed Donnington Middle School, Cornwallis Road, on special measures - a step reserved for the worst-performing two per cent of schools in the country.

Their damning report contained a series of findings which will shock parents. They include:

One in four lessons is unsatisfactory;

Truancy levels are above average;

Pupils were sometimes unruly, despite the school's efforts to curb bad behaviour;

Children's achievement was well below average.

Now the school, which has 341 pupils, has been ordered to draw up an urgent action plan aimed at improving standards of teaching and achievement. The terms of the action plan must be approved by Education Secretary David Blunkett.

The school, its governors, education officials and the Government will then work closely to ensure the right measures are put in place and to make sure they work.

Inspectors said the school was "likely to fail to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education".

They said efforts to improve pupils' behaviour had produced some benefits, but found there were still instances of unruly behaviour.Attendance was unsatisfactory with unauthorised absence well above the national average.

But inspectors also said the content and planning of the curriculum were largely satisfactory and the school provided for pupils' moral, social and cultural development.

Headteacher Lesley Reeves said: "No-one is pleased when a school is put on special measures. But we welcome the additional support that comes with special measures. "We are already working with the local education authority on a programme of monitoring and support to help us improve the quality of teaching which inspectors found to be unsatisfactory in just over a quarter of lessons. It was unfortunate the inspection came when a number of staff were ill at the end of last term."She said in teaching literacy, which was found to be a key area for improvement, a number of teachers had received training.

County education spokesman John Mitchell said: "We will be working very closely with the school to enable it to work up an effective action plan."

Susan Hendry, of Rose Hill, Oxford, whose children Peter, 11, and Simone, nine, attend the school, said: "I think my children's education is all right. They enjoy it here and I don't take too much notice of these reports - they are not particularly helpful." Marion Palmer, whose ten-year-old nephew is a pupil at Donnington Middle School, added: "In the past, he experienced problems because of bullying, but that has now been sorted out.

"He has special needs and staff at the school have helped him a great deal with his education." WEAKNESSES

Standards of attainment below average

Pupils make insufficient progress as they move through school

Teaching unsatisfactory in a quarter of lessons

Expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low in many cases

Pupils prepared to show interest in lessons but lack self-discipline and lose concentration when not directly supervised STRENGTHS

Content and planning of curriculum largely satisfactory

Day-to-day administration and control of budget are efficient

Pupils are prepared to show interest in lessons and generally pay attention

School makes sound provision for pupils' moral, social and cultural development

Quality of teaching satisfactory or better in nearly three quarters of lessons

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