NEARLY two years after being placed in special measures, Whitfield Primary School has received yet another damning Ofsted report. 

The monitoring inspection, carried out on November 3, is the fifth since the school was put into special measures in February 2014. 

The report concluded that "the school is not taking enough effective action towards the removal of special measures". 

Whitfield Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is now prohibited from appointing newly-qualified teachers before the next inspection.

The inspection found the "quality of teaching remains highly variable and underachievement continues for a sizeable group of pupils across the school".

It branded the lack of swift action to take the school out of special measures "inexcusable" and described inadequate support from Northumberland County Council as contributing to the school's continued failure.

The county council has expressed disappointment at the results of the latest inspection, but says it remains committed to supporting rural schools. 

Northumberland County Council's cabinet member for children's services Coun. Robert Arckless, said: "The local authority, diocese, governors and staff at the school have been working hard over the last 21 months to make improvements at Whitfield Church of England School, including linking up with a local teaching school. 

"Unfortunately, this does not seem to have been enough in the view of this Ofsted inspector.

"The Ofsted process does not take into account the particular issues faced by rural schools. 

"Northumberland is a predominately rural county with 107 small schools. This provides extra challenges for the schools and we, as a council, are keen to support them in any way we can. 

"Rural schools are the lifeblood of local communities and we will do everything possible to make them work.

"We will be meeting the governors as a matter of urgency to discuss the limited range of options we have been left with by the inspectors; for example the move to become an academy, or to close the school."

Another Ofsted follow-up inspection at Whitfield will take place next spring.