A primary school headteacher has resigned after a damning Ofsted inspection.

Davidson Primary School in Addiscombe was placed into special measures after being rated “inadequate” in every category following an inspection in October.

Ofsted’s report, published this week, criticises the Dartnell Road school’s leadership for failing to provide a “good education for pupils” and flags up the school’s rapid decline in exam results over the last two years.

Headteacher Ann Cooksley, who took over in 2013, is understood to have resigned at the end of the autumn term, although her departure was not announced to parents until this month.

The school is set to be taken over by Bromley-based Pinkhurst Academy Trust. Matt Rampton, the trust’s executive head, denied knowing if Ms Cooksley’s departure was precipitated by the inspection.

But he added: “Clearly the standards are in the public domain and clearly there has been a decline in key stage two results under the leadership team.”

In 2014 there was a 31 per cent drop in the number of pupils achieving level four or above in key stage two writing at Davisdon and the Ofsted report judged that “leaders have an over-optimistic view of the quality of teaching”.

It marked a dramatic decline for a school that was rated “good” in every area in its last inspection in 2012.

The school announced on January 14 that Ms Cooksley would be leaving to “take some well earned rest” following a 15-year spell at the school. But one Davidson parent has claimed the school failed to keep everyone him informed about the staffing concerns.

Damion Kewell, whose young son and daughter both attend the school, said earlier this month: “The headteacher has disappeared, and we’re getting told several stories. The main story is that she’s ill but, other teachers have told us that she’s left or she’s been told to go.

“Ofsted went in and then she left almost immediately. If a head teacher leaves, you need to know the reason why quite quickly.”

Mr Rampton said: "There has been a time lag with being able to communicate things with parents which is not ideal, and I can understand from a parent point of view why that can be frustrating - for example, the Ofsted inspection."

The school’s former deputy head Cara Moon, who received praise from Ofsted for her support of other teachers at the school, is currently acting as headteacher.

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