A school rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted is to become an academy, it has been announced.

Parents were told last night that an academy order for Nightingale Infant and Nursery School in Taverham would be signed in the 'next few weeks'.

It follows a report by Ofsted which said school leaders allowed the quality of education to 'significantly' decline since an inspection in 2008.

School governors also told parents that the head teacher, Jonathan Coy, would not be returning.

In a statement, Mr Coy, who has been head since 2016, said it was with 'huge sadness' that he would be stepping down.

Replacing him in the interim will be Michelle Slymn, who said she had taken three schools out of special measures in the past.

She said she would help the school get 'back on track'.

At a public meeting yesterday, parents raised concerns about the way the school had been run.

One woman said her child in year two was not at the same reading ability level as pupils of the same age in other schools.

But chair of governors Samantha Dangerfield said work was already under way to address the issues highlighted in the Ofsted report, published yesterday.

When asked if the school would become an academy, Helen Wardale, from the governors, confirmed that it would be.

She said: 'An order will be signed and sealed probably in the next few weeks, but it will be blank. There won't be a trust mentioned in it.

'That is the process which needs to happen, and that is a national process, not a Norfolk process.'

Ofsted visited the school in Nightingale Road over two-days in March this year.

As well as the school's overall effectiveness being rated as inadequate, the effectiveness of leadership and management was also deemed inadequate.

The school caters for 178 pupils, aged three to seven.

Concerns were raised about safeguarding, while quality of teaching, learning and assessment was graded as requiring improvement.

The report said for 'too long', leaders staff and governors had an 'inflated view' of the standard of education at the school.

However, it said the new governing body had 'swiftly' set about addressing the most important areas of concern.