SCHOOL inspectors have criticised Hull City Council for failing to provide adequate support to a failing school.
It comes after Ofsted inspectors visited Endeavour School for the first time since it fell into special measures in December.
The inspectors said the authority did not have an improvement plan for the school which was fit for purpose.
But it praised staff for their work in beginning to turn the failing school around.
The report said: "The local authority report is not fit for purpose.
"During the evaluations of the statement of action, it was agreed improvements needed to be made."
The improvements, Ofsted said, include finding out the views of parents.
The report goes on: "The school's improvement plan is clear.
"It focuses on the main areas which need improving: the amount of progress students make and the quality of teaching."
The future of the school is still uncertain after it was put in the failing category. Talks are still ongoing with the Government and local authority about what to do.
It is likely Endeavour will close and be turned into a sponsored academy.
Stuart Edgell, head teacher at the school, said: "It is good to see we have set off on the right foot.
"It has been made very clear what has been expected of us.
"We have put everything which was in the report into place and put a very short timescale on it.
"We have been working with Archbishop Sentamu Academy, who are coming in this week to quality-assure what we have been doing.
"We have been open to external scrutiny and we have an Ofsted inspector and a retired inspector with us. It is top-dollar stuff in terms of the quality of people working with us. We are saying to them if it is not right then tell us and we will put it right."
The school has been working closely with the Interim Executive Board (IEB) since it was put in following special measures.
It replaced the schools governing body.
Mr Edgell says the board, made up of top educationalists, has been scrutinising and questioning everything to make sure the school improves at a quick rate.
He said: "I have never been asked such difficult questions in my life.
"The local authority was instrumental in putting it together.
"It has helped us where it can. But it doesn't have the resources. There is a limited scope."
Ken Sainty, assistant head of standards and improvement at Hull City Council, said: "During the first monitoring visit, which took place on January 23, the inspector requested more detail about how parents' views on the proposed actions would be ascertained and taken into account and further detail about future actions.
"As the statement of action required changes to this effect, the monitoring visit letter had to record the statement of action as 'not fit for purpose.' A judgement of 'fit for purpose' would have meant that no changes were required.
"Following liaison with the school, arrangements have already been made to meet with parents in an open forum next week at the school, to discuss the proposed actions and provide an opportunity for comments to be made.
"The local authority is working closely with the school and the IEB to address the additional issues raised and to ensure that the school exits special measures as rapidly as possible."
