A Watford junior school has been told it is making satisfactory progress by Ofsted after receiving a damning report earlier this year.

The school’s inspectorate visited Kingsway Junior School on September 12, after it was judged to be "inadequate" in February.

The Briar Road school was asked to improve leadership and management, and to extend the monitoring role of the governing body to all areas of the school’s work.

Then, in April, headteacher Mary Heard resigned and Linda Payne was brought in as an interim. Margaret Conlon was also brought in as a consultant headteacher.

The governing body appointed Jenny Sherry, as "headteacher-designate" following interviews, to take over the post in January.

This interim team had only been at the school five days when inspector David Jones visited in September.

He said: "Having considered all the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time the school is making satisfactory progress in addressing the issues for improvement and in raising the pupils’ achievement."

He noted that pupil progress was weak during the summer term and Key Stage 2 national tests remain below the 2011 figures.

The quality of teaching last year manifested in a below-average performance of Year 6 pupils in English and maths.

Mr Jones watched five lessons, one of which was judged to be good, three required improvement, and one was found to be inadequate.

This view was matched by the consultant headteacher and deputy headteacher who observed the same lessons.

The inadequate lesson provided insufficient challenge and the teacher used inaccurate examples, which confused the pupils.

Mr Jones said: "The previous leadership team was unable to arrest the decline in standards and achievement between 2010 and 2012.

"The governing body has moved swiftly to appoint a new headteacher following the resignation of the previous incumbent and worked effectively with the local authority to ensure a strong interim leadership team is in place for the autumn term 2012.

"The support provided by the local authority in securing the appointment of a new headteacher, a strong interim leadership team and by the strengthening of the governing body, has been a particularly effective response to the weaknesses identified by the previous inspection."

He gave the school a notice to improve, in recognition of the work which must be done to raise standards.

Linda Payne, interim headteacher, said: "The governors, staff and I are pleased with the outcome of the monitoring visit. 

"The inspection report, confirms the improvements that have been made since February 2012. 

"We welcomed and are grateful for the advice given to us by Her Majesty's Inspectors as this will help us move the school even further forward."