AN OXFORD primary school has gone into special measures but is planning to become an academy.

Cutteslowe Primary School was judged inadequate by school inspectors Ofsted and given a notice to improve two years ago.

But it was put into special measures after Ofsted said there had been no progress.

The school, which has 241 pupils on the roll, has been chosen as part of an Ofsted pilot scheme to get schools out of special measures within a year through additional support from Oxfordshire County Council and the inspection body.

New headteacher Jon Gray hopes to improve the school by teaming up with a well-performing school to seek academy status.

Mr Gray, who started work in September and was praised by Ofsted for having a clear understanding of the problems, said: “We need to give teachers the skills to make sure children develop quickly. This school has got a lot of potential.”

Areas criticised included a lack of leadership over the past two years, insufficient pupil progress and low attainment.

The school had also failed to identify how well different groups, such as those speaking English as an additional language, with special needs, or from minority ethnic groups, were performing.

Lead inspector Lorna Brackstone said: “Pupils’ progress is hampered by pockets of poor teaching where expectations of work are low and additional adult classroom support is ineffective.”

The school was rated good in four criteria, including engagement with parents and carers.

Mr Gray said: “I’m a big believer in the community holding the school to account.

“If we convert, it would give the school some kind of autonomy and it would still be run by me and the governors under a trust of two schools.”

A partner is still being identified but Mr Gray said one of the schools that had been approached was The Cherwell School, in Marston Ferry Road, an outstanding secondary that is consulting on academy status.

Advantages would be additional funding and the option of drawing on resources such as skilled teachers from the partner school.

The primary school is already set to expand to two classes per year from next September, with work starting on new buildings over the summer.

A meeting on the scheme will be held on Wednesday, January 18.

In a letter to parents, Cherwell headteacher Paul James said a decision on how best to support Cutteslowe would be made after the secondary school’s governing body holds a meeting on January 11 to discuss academy status.