A primary school has been rated inadequate by education watchdog Ofsted and has been placed in special measures.

Inspectors said Bedmond Village Primary and Nursery School, in Abbots Langley, had too little support for disadvantaged pupils and that leaders had an overgenerous view of the school’s effectiveness.

It also said the head teacher Emma Woollon had to take on too much and the level of support from other school leaders was not strong enough.

It stated that staff turnover had had a negative effect on the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress, and the quality of teaching varied too much.

It said teachers did not expect enough of pupils and did not always ensure that all pupils were listening when they or others were talking.

It also said students' rates of attendance were lower than the national average and the high number of teaching assistants did not have a strong effect on pupils’ learning, especially those with educational needs or disabilities.

But the report stated that school showed promise when it came to teaching early years’ classes, meaning younger children made good progress. It also said pupils’ welfare and personal development were good, stating that they enjoyed school, took responsibility and felt safe.

It said Mrs Woollon and her staff cared well for pupils from a diverse range of backgrounds and ensured there was a happy atmosphere in the school.

Wendy Meldrum, chairman of governors at Bedmond Village Primary School and Nursery, said: "The school was inspected by OFSTED in September.

"A number of strengths were highlighted in the report but the inspector did however find a number of areas that were identified as unsatisfactory. These resulted in our school being placed in special measures.

"We will take on board the findings of the inspector and work to implement steps to improve in the areas identified in the OFSTED report."