A primary school placed in special measures last year is to become an academy this summer, run by the same company that looks after Neale-Wade Academy in March.

Kingsfield Primary School, in Chatteris, is to become part of the expanding Active Learning Trust group of academies.

Ofsted inspectors last year described teaching at Kingsfield as inadequate and said the school had failed to provide its pupils with an acceptable standard of education.

Paul Tomkow headed a team which returned to Kingsfield last month and agreed the school was “making reasonable progress towards the removal of special measures”.

He said that despite improvements “overall achievement remains low because not enough teaching is good or better. As a result most pupils are not making the progress needed to attain, or exceed, the levels which are expected for their age.”

Mr Tomkow said: “Gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding of grammar, punctuation and spelling are not being addressed and this is limiting the rate of progress in writing.

“The school’s own data shows that standards in reading, writing and mathematics are improving. The rate of progress is not fast enough to narrow the gap in these subjects but it has stopped the gap from widening further.”

Mr Tomkow added: “Comprehensive plans are in place to eradicate inadequate teaching and further increase the proportion of good teaching through staff training and further challenge to poor practice.”

A new head, Joanne Tomlins, started in January, he said, and five new teachers will take up their posts in September.

“Since taking up post, the head has taken decisive action to improve standards,” said Mr Tomkow.