Parents and residents have mixed views on what life is like near one of the UK's worst rated primary schools in Sutton-in-Ashfield. Brierley Forest Primary and Nursery School, on Westbourne View, is among the worst 100 primary schools in the country, according to education inspectorate Ofsted.
There are two in Nottinghamshire that feature among the 100 or so, with the other being Harlow Academy, on Nottingham Road in Mansfield. Both schools are rated 'inadequate'.
Brierley Forest was inspected by Ofsted in November 2021 and rated inadequate. It is a mixed school of 3-11-year-olds with 360 pupils on its roll. In the report into its performance, speaking to pupils and staff, inspectors found some "do not feel safe in school". And speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, some parents said they had experienced problems.
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Cailee Madin, 35, whose two kids attend the school, said: "Teachers are always changing." A parent of a Year 3 pupil, who did not want to be named, said: "I think it's quite bad there. No progress seems to be being made at the moment."
But some other parents said the school was good, particularly those whose children with special educational needs attend the school.
Craig Dunning, 36, who was picking up his step-grandson, said: "They seem alright, I'd rate them 10 out of 10. Our child that goes here has learning difficulties, and he's been getting the help he needs which is brilliant. The little brother goes to the same school, and I'm not aware of any problems."
Lyndsey Moll, 37, said: "I've not been aware of any problems, my daughter is in a wheelchair and my boy has borderline ADHD, and they both get lots of support. I don't have a bad word to say about the school."
Opinion among local residents is split too. One resident who lives nearby, and did not want to be identified described living near the school as 'hell'.
When asked what it's like living near the school, the resident replied: "Hell. I've experienced some really foul language from some of the kids that go there. Parking is an issue, I sometimes can't get out to appointments because of people parking across where I'm parked. And when I do ask them to move, you get really badly sworn at. Over my dead body would I send a kid to that school."
However another resident said it is not bad to live next to. Steve White, 67, who lives on Westbourne View, had three children, who have all grown up, that attended the school.
He said: "I've not had any problems with anyone. You get kids come running by, but that's okay as they're safer here than being out in the road or anything like that while parents drop off.
"There is a nightmare with parking, and sometimes I get my drive blocked, but you plan around it. You've just got to get your timing right."
When the Ofsted report into Brierly Forest Primary and Nursery School was published in January 2022, headteacher Sarah Griffith said: "The school has already begun to implement a robust action plan to address the areas of improvement required, with a focus on safeguarding. We are very disappointed and concerned by the findings of the latest Ofsted report.
"Staff have received further training and significant changes have been made to the curriculum in order that we rapidly address the issues raised. However, we recognise that the pace of change has not been as rapid as it needs to be.
"Some children are not making enough progress and expectations of what they can achieve need to be higher. Our focus is now on urgently raising standards and rectifying concerns and, with the help of the local authority, we will continue to address the points raised in the Ofsted report to ensure that the quality of education provided by the school is of a high standard."
