Primary school staff grilled by parents (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Primary school staff grilled by parents

ANGRY parents peppered staff at Fairford Primary School with questions about the state of their children's education last Thursday evening.

More than 100 residents attended the emergency meeting at the school following the release of last week's damning Ofsted report.

During the heated debate both governors and representatives from Gloucestershire County Council admitted parents were right to be concerned.

Oversized classrooms, poor communication between staff and a failure to probably monitor and nurture pupils' progress were all highlighted as serious issues.

There were reassurances that within two years things should be back on track with the imminent release of an action plan.

But parents were determined to get to the bottom of why the school deserved such a critical evaluation and put pressure on headteacher Jane Sparling to tackle the problem areas head on.

Mother Sally Peachey said her two children received a significantly better education before they moved to Fairford.

She said: "I have noticed a difference - I wasn't quite as surprised as everybody else about this report. It is a shame that it has taken so long to have an inspection."

But she added: "I think as parents we have got to support the school and we have to keep our children positive about the school as well. I feel that this is a positive thing to happen in a lot of ways."

Other parents were less sympathetic and said they felt "fobbed off" and accused governors of being in denial about the severity of the situation.

It was felt the education authority and Mrs Sparling, who has been at Fairford since 1999, had failed to address the issue of falling standards soon enough.

Fairford's last Ofsted report was also in 1999, although the time period between reports is now meant to be only three years.

It was last year that pupils' year-on-year progress dropped below the national average for the first time.

Guy Bailey, vice-chairman of governors, said: "The surprise was that the kick was as hard as it was, but I am very, very confident there will be improvements - in a year's time this school will be significantly better than it is now."

Both teachers and governors said they would be working together over the coming months, along with the education authority, to improve the school.

Mr Bailey said an action plan would be sent to parents next term before another consultation meeting would take place.

Sally Ward, senior primary advisor at GCC, said: "Since the report a huge amount of work has been going on within the school, which has the capacity to improve."