A school’s governing body has responded to stinging criticism by schools inspector Ofsted, saying it has always had the interests of its pupils at heart.

Inspectors have branded Bradford Moor Community Primary a ‘failing school’ and placed it in special measures. The Ofsted report said while head teacher Janet Relton was providing strong leadership, the governing body’s lack of teamwork was having an “unacceptable” effect on the school’s ability to make improvements.

It added: “For too long the governing body has not monitored the quality of teaching and achievement effectively.”

But yesterday, chairman of the governors, Razwana Mahmood, said in a statement that the governors, who were all volunteers, had always had the best interests of the children at heart.

Mrs Mahmood said they had also undertaken training to help them develop their skills.

She said: “The governing body of Bradford Moor has worked tirelessly for the benefit of the children.

“The school has been through a very difficult time in recent years and the governors are confident that the right leadership team is now in place to enable the school to move forward.

“The governors undertook a thorough and vigorous recruitment process in partnership with the local authority to ensure the right head teacher was recruited for our school and this has now been confirmed by Ofsted. We are pleased that they agree with our decision. Governors have also already undertaken training to assist in areas that require improvement to help them develop their own skills.

“It is important to remember that governors are all volunteers who have always had, and always will have, the very best interest of the children at heart.

“The governors will continue to place the children at the centre of any decisions taken. Throughout the process, we have worked closely with the local authority and fully supported and implemented their recommendations. We will continue to work with them as the school moves forward.”

Bradford Moor Parents’ Group, which led a placard-waving demonstration over standards in February, has called for the immediate removal of the governing body.

In a statement, the group said: “Our children have been let down.”