PARENTS have rallied round to defend their school after staff were told to make urgent improvements by Ofsted.

West Kidlington Primary School was rated “inadequate” during its last inspection in December – a verdict one parent has called “nonsensical”.

The report claimed too many children were regularly absent and that staff did not investigate whether those missing were safe.

Head teacher Eugene Symonds says action will be taken to clamp down on absentees.

It was also claimed teachers did not check on the progress of children well enough, which meant disadvantaged pupils were likely to underachieve.

But parents have told the Oxford Mail that staff have their full support and teachers have a strong relationship with children.

David Hewett, who son is in first year, said: “We feel strongly the overall judgement of inadequate is nonsensical.

“The rating is patently inconsistent with the details of the report itself.

“In particular, the early years provision is judged to be inadequate but the only negative comment in that section of the report relates to an unspecified safeguarding compliance issue, which we have been assured has already been fixed.”

Sarah Goodwin, who has daughters Lois May, seven, and Elizabeth, three, at the school, said: “Myself and my husband have always been very happy with the school.

“My daughters are progressing very well, and we have no issues at all with safety or our daughters being supported or challenged enough.”

Mr Symonds said the number of regular absentees was a “small minority of seven or eight” children, but insisted the school would not “make excuses” for the report’s findings.

He added: “The whole report is focused on a small minority of children and we have spoken to parents about this.

“The vast majority send their children to school each day and on time, and the majority understand this and communicate with us.

“When children are missing we phone each day to check where they are, and if we are not satisfied then we will take action.

“This is obviously a deeply disappointing report, but the challenges it presents us with will be met energetically and robustly.”

Mr Symonds said he had been told by Ofsted that if staff cannot get hold of parents by phone, they should visit their homes to find out where children are.

He added the school’s priority had to be the safety of staff and that they would only consider calling the police as a “last resort”.

Aron Howlett, from Kidlington, whose daughter is in her first year, said he believed phoning the parents of absent children should be a “perfectly acceptable” response from staff.

He added: “We were completely satisfied with the nursery care that our daughter has received from the school, and in actual fact the progress she has made in her first year is fantastic.”

An inspection team visited the Oxford Road school, which has 450 pupils, from December 8-9.

The report comes three years after the school was praised for the “outstanding” behaviour of students and its high level of teaching.