THE woman helping a struggling Carlisle primary school says it could become an academy as early as January.

Brampton-based Cumbria Education Trust (CET) has also confirmed it is the preferred sponsor to take over the running of Caldew Lea School, which failed an inspection in June.

Leaders from Stanwix School are providing support to Caldew Lea School in the interim following publication of the damning Ofsted report in September.

Stanwix School's headteacher Kuldip McMullan and her deputy Chris Steele are sharing their time and expertise with the Ashley Street school in Caldewgate.

Caldew Lea Primary School was judged to be 'inadequate' by Ofsted inspectors.

Staff had been taking their concerns to union officials for months prior to the report's publication.

The report said that fractured relationships between staff, governors and senior leadership had hindered improvements.

The 308-pupil school is now poised to become an academy in line with Government policy.

Stanwix School is already an academy but Mrs McMullan has confirmed that its support is only an interim measure.

She said: "The local authority came to us and asked if we would support the school in the interim. It could be an academy as early as January but there is the full due diligence process to go through.

"Both Chris and I have been made to feel very welcome by parents, staff, governors and pupils, who are also very supportive."

She also said that the move to become an academy would mark the start of a new era for Caldew Lea School, and is moving to reassure parents.

Cumbria Education Trust already runs six schools.

They are William Howard in Brampton and Workington Academy as well as the primaries in Longtown, Yanwath and Tebay as well as Yewdale that is only 1.5 miles from Caldew Lea School.

The trust is also the preferred sponsor for the troubled Whitehaven Academy in west Cumbria, the takeover of which - due to start on November 1 - has been delayed.

Lorrayne Hughes, CET chief executive, said: "We are pleased to have been selected by the Department for Education as preferred sponsor of the Caldew Lea Primary School.

"We have an embedded and effective school improvement model backed by the capacity to support rapid school improvement in the primary sector and are committed to steady and maintainable growth with a vision to create a ‘hub’ of primary and secondary schools in four distinct areas – Carlisle, Brampton, West Cumbria and Eden Valley."

She added: "Caldew Lea Primary is near to Yewdale Primary School, another CET school, which has recently been judged ‘good’ by Ofsted.

"This means we are well placed to provide strong leadership and support to Caldew Lea as we seek to improve outcomes for its children.

"Our first steps are to complete the due diligence process, which will begin in the next couple of weeks."

Currently, Mrs McMullan and Mr Steele from Stanwix School are supporting Caldew Lea up until Christmas.

"It is nice to be able to come and do joint working here," said Mrs McMullan, talking to The Cumberland News in the head's office at Caldew Lea School.

"At Stanwix, we've got a cracking leadership team and governors and we're in a period of stability where we have the capacity to be able to work with others. We wouldn't have done this if we thought it would have a detrimental effect.

"Our SENCO has done some joint working on pupil premium as have the early years teams, having visits. The NQTs are also getting together. "What we're finding is that it is a two-way learning process. It is as much about us learning for us at Stanwix and having experience of working supporting other schools as it is for the school here."