A JUNIOR school thought to be the largest of its kind in Europe has been branded inadequate by inspectors just months after its new head teacher started.

Inspectors from Ofsted visited Ocklynge Junior School in Eastbourne in October.

They found the school, which has 821 pupils aged seven to 11, had begun to make progress but still faced big challenges.

The team said new head teacher Jon Reynard, who started at Easter, was aware of the school’s weaknesses and knew what to do to put things right. However, he had not been in post long-enough to correct the inadequacies found.

The ruling means the government will now force through the school's conversion to an academy and work on this will be started as soon as possible.

Ofsted concluded the school’s quality of teaching, learning and assessment as well as its leadership and management need to improve.

Outcomes for pupils were not good enough and it needed to do better with pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare.

It said too many pupils were not challenged enough and students who were disadvantaged often fell behind.

In 2015 the top year pupils did not make the expected levels of progress in reading, writing or mathematics and this was repeated in writing and mathematics in 2016.

While teachers care for the pupils and ensure the vast majority feel happy and safe at school, more needs to be done to tackle the behaviour of a small group of older boys, and too many pupils had identified examples of when bullying had occurred.

Inspectors said Mr Reynard had made a difference since he arrived.

This included putting in place a new curriculum, acting decisively to improve pupils’ attendance, and changing the way the school records, tracks and measures the progress of pupils.

He has also improved leadership in the school, made rapid improvements to safeguarding, and the governors now have access to school information that means they can be more effective.

Mr Reynard said: “This report comes as absolutely no surprise, and it has confirmed issues we were already very aware of, and have begun addressing.

I am pleased the inspectors highlighted the progress we have begun to make, but they are also right that much needs to be done.

“My message to parents and the wider community is that we are totally committed to making these improvements and are absolutely determined to make Ocklynge a school where all our children thrive and achieve their full potential.”

School vice chairwoman of governors, Jenny McLachlan, said: “Obviously this is a disappointing report, but it is an accurate picture of the challenge we face.

"However, in Jon Reynard, I am very confident we have the right headteacher to drive the improvements we need, and quickly.

I am pleased Ofsted has acknowledged the progress we have begun to make, and the governing body will work with the staff to ensure that momentum is maintained."