A VILLAGE primary head, who promised two months her school would have a bright future despite Ofsted inspectors deciding it had to stay in special measures, has left.

Sue Hulford was positive in October that Rowde Primary near Devizes was on the right track despite an Ofsted monitoring report which said: “Leaders and managers are not taking effective action for the removal of special measures.”

Last Wednesday parents were sent a letter by the Acorn Education Trust , which Rowde joined in November, to say Mrs Hulford had left her position.

Trust executive head Max Burr said: “We thank Mrs Hulford for the work she has done.

“The new interim head will be Jonathan Edy-Berry who is deputy head of Clarendon School, Trowbridge.

“Our aim is to bring stability to the school so it can flourish.”

He urged parents of pre-school children who may be worried about the future of primary to visit so they could see it for themselves before deciding where there children should go in September.

In October the monitoring report acknowledged some improvements had taken place at Rowde since an inspection in March which put it in special measures. Mrs Hulford said at the time: “My top priority was to make sure that safeguarding was brought up to scratch and the monitoring inspection found that safeguarding is now effective.”

Experienced teacher Hannah Elson joined the school as deputy head and Mr Burr became executive head.

She said: “Being part of the trust gives me so much more support. We have started along the right path. Joining the trust is going to be a new start.”

A number of governors left the school last term but new chairman Kate Hunloke said in October that she was sure the school would have improved when inspectors next returned.